VERA-NG radio-electronic reconnaissance station: invisible to enemy, priceless for air defense

Contents

1. What is VERA

2. How the Vera station works

3. Technical characteristics of Vera-NG

4. Advantages of the Vera-NG complex

What is VERA

VERA passive surveillance ESM system is a Czech automated passive radar reconnaissance station. The manufacturer, ERA a.s., is based in Pardubice. Mass production began in 2004.

"ERA's most advanced product, the Vera-NG complex, is designed for passive surveillance, early warning, and air defense. It can conduct covert cross-border monitoring of aerial targets over long distances, including 'stealth' objects," explains ArmyInform.

The declared operating range is up to 400 km, although it depends on the target's altitude, emission power, and, primarily, the radar horizon.

VERA-NG is considered one of the most advanced radar systems on the global market. In addition to the Czech Republic, the armies of the USA, Slovakia, Estonia, UAE, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and recently Ukraine use these stations. Vera stations have also been ordered by Indonesia and Moldova (1 unit in 2024). Media reports also indicated that in January 2004, the Czech defense company Omnipol received a license to sell six systems to China, but the contract was canceled under pressure from the U.S. government.

Ukraine became an operator of the Vera station in 2024. In the summer of 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced funding for the purchase of four stations. The equipment cost approximately 150 million euros. As of February 2024, the systems were already in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as reported by Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.

How the Vera station works

The Vera-NG system has both mobile (on Tatra chassis) and stationary variants. The system includes three signal receivers (each with a 120-degree viewing angle) and a central command post that receives and processes all information. The station operates in any weather conditions. The Vera-NG computer identifies and calculates the target's coordinates in three dimensions (azimuth, altitude, and range) and provides anti-aircraft missile systems with all necessary data for targeting the detected objects.

"The Vera station, by 'listening' to emissions simultaneously on three receiving devices, can gather data on the range, course, altitude, and speed of aerial objects and classify them by type based on a vast library of signatures. All of this is done in an automated mode while operating in a fully passive mode, undetectable to the enemy. The station emits nothing but detects the emissions of onboard radio and electronic systems of enemy objects," describes Defense Express.

The goal of the complex is to detect, determine the location, identify, and track air, ground, and sea targets. To achieve this, Vera uses passive tracking technologies for emission sources, including radar systems, jamming devices, transponders of the "friend-foe" system, DME/TACAN interrogators, communication and navigation equipment, and surveillance systems.

"The principle of operation of this station is quite simple and is based on the fact that every modern aircraft emits signals during flight, the composition and parameters of which are determined by the radar and radio equipment onboard. These signal parameters are stored in the station's reconnaissance computer database, similar to human fingerprints. By receiving these signals at three different points, measuring and comparing the time differences between them, the coordinates of the aircraft's current position emitting the signals are calculated," explained Colonel Oleksandr Zaruba, Head of the Information and Analytical Department of the Trophy and Prospective Weaponry and Military Equipment Research Center of Ukraine's General Staff.

Technical characteristics of Vera-NG

• Detection range of targets – 400 km with an accuracy of up to 20 m,
• Operating frequency range – 88 MHz – 18 GHz,
• Azimuth accuracy – 0.01º,
• Simultaneous tracking – up to 200 targets,
• Information update time – 1-5 sec,
• Deployment time – up to 1 hour.

Advantages of the Vera-NG complex

The main advantage of electronic reconnaissance systems is their "invisibility" due to the absence of electromagnetic radiation. The passive surveillance system remains undetectable by radar-evading onboard systems of modern fighter jets, including 5th generation aircraft.

"The covert operation of such systems is practically invisible to standard devices that detect electromagnetic radiation from radar systems for detection, tracking, and targeting," writes ArmyInform.

However, Defense Express emphasizes that Vera-NG should not be considered completely invulnerable or irreplaceable.

"Radio-electronic reconnaissance stations are not a panacea, and they naturally need to work in conjunction with conventional radar systems and other surveillance systems, complementing the capabilities of each," the outlet notes.

In addition to its primary military purpose (detecting and tracking aircraft, helicopters, missiles, shells, and drones), the system can also be used for airspace control, ensuring the safety of both civil and military aviation, and detecting and monitoring meteorological phenomena such as thunderstorms, hail, strong winds, and blizzards.