RP-5

Description

The RP-5 is a Soviet airborne target detection and tracking radar.

Vehicles equipped with this radar

• ◊Lim-5P
• MiG-19PT
• J-6A

General info / usage

The RP-5 is somewhat special among airborne radars in the game, in that it utilises separate antennas to provide scanning and tracking, allowing the radar to continue scanning while it is tracking a target. The search radar has fairly poor range, but decent overall scanning angles; the tracking radar has favourable range characteristics, but very poor tracking angles.

Features
Band	Pulse mode	PD mode	MTI mode	IRST mode	TWS mode	SARH
I	✓	X	X	X	X	X

Search characteristics
Mode	Max range	Display ranges	IFF
SRC	12 km	12 km	X
ACQ	4 km		X

Search modes
Mode	Scan type	Azimuth	Elevation	Period
SRC	Two-way raster	±60°	-10°/+20°	1.33 s
ACQ	Cone	±7°	±7°	0.5 s

Tracking characteristics
Mode	Max range	Azimuth limit	Elevation limit
TRK	4.5 km	±7°	±7°

Comparison with analogues

With the exception of the German Lichtenstein radars (FuG 202 & FuG 220) the RP-5 has the worst range of any airborne search radars, at only 12 km; slightly less than that of the AI Mk. X (14 km) and much less than the AN/APS-21 (45 km). Although somewhat lacking in maximum range the RP-5 does have much better minimum range than the AN/APS-21 (300 m compared to 1,000 m). The azimuth scanning angles of the RP-5 are also somewhat lacklustre at 60° to each side (again worse than the other two radars), however it has very good elevation scan angles of 40° (much better than the 16° found on the AN/APS-21).

The tracking component of the RP-5 is again somewhat lacklustre compared to the AN/APG-26 (the only other tracking radar in the game). It does have slightly better minimum and maximum ranges than the AN/APG-26, but for these small bonuses you pay a hefty price in terms of scan angles. The azimuth and elevation can angles are both only ±7°, which is vastly inferior to the ±60° of the AN/APG-26.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Is both a target detection and tracking radar
• Search radar
  • OK minimum range
  • Decent azimuth scanning angles
  • Very good elevation scanning angles
  • Reasonably quick scanning time
• Tracking radar
  • Good maximum range
  • Good minimum range

Cons:

• Search radar
  • Poor maximum range
  • Although azimuth scanning angles are decent they still fall behind those of the AI Mk. X and AN/APS-21
• Tracking radar
  • Extremely bad tracking angles

History

The RP-5 "Izumrud" radar is an improved version of the RP-1 "Izumrud" radar fitted to the early production MiG-19s. It was one of the first radars to feature Track-While-Scan (TWS) capability (allowing a target to be tracked while the radar continued scanning the area); doing so by using two separate antennas.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• AN/APS-21
• AN/APG-26

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.