HORSE LEG and FLAT TWIN

SOC

I look at pictures all day
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Here's links to Google Earth files depicting the HORSE LEG and FLAT TWIN ABM radars. FLAT TWIN is a leftover from the S-225 system. HORSE LEG was the PILL BOX prototype.

HORSE LEG:

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/689532/

FLAT TWIN:

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/689526/
 
Thank you, SOC!

I still don't quite see, why they assigned the code name HORSE LEG. The structure seems to be just a long wedge? Interestingly there seems to be what could be the remains of a TOP ROOST or HEN ROOST or similar radar a bit to the south.

FLAT TWIN is apparently really quite enarmous if I measured it correctly - almost 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep. Do you happen to know how many of them were constructed in total? I remember the US reportedly raised some objections when one radar was 'moved outside an ABM test facility' in the 1980s.
 
They probably objected to the moving of the FLAT TWIN radar all the way out onto the Kamchatka peninsula. No clue how many were built, but it was probably a very lov figure given that the S-225 itself was cancelled. They probably moved this one out to the test range as it was capable of tracking missiles and they might as well have gotten some use out of it. The remains you're seeing were probably a HEN HOUSE or similar radar as this was the primary ABM test facility.

No clue as to why it was called HORSE LEG either. Some of the radar codenames make sense, like FLAP LID, TOMB STONE, or even BIG BIRD, but some of them are pretty hilarious, and that doesn't even touch on the subject of a certain Antonov and a certain MiG product's codename.
 
The reason why I wondered about HORSE LEG is that the vast majority of ABM-related radars have codenames that somehow relate to their outward appearance eg. HEN EGG, HEN NEST, HEN HOUSE, DOG HOUSE, CAT HOUSE, FLAT TWIN, PAWN SHOP, PILL BOX.

And now that I looked into the matter more closely, the US objections were due to the movement of a FLAT TWIN and a PAWN SHOP (or their major components) to the Gomel region in 1987.
 
I've read that already some time ago. Very interesting, if patchy. It was one of my sources when I researched the actual associations of Western designations to Soviet ABM systems.
 
Not sure if this is old news, but this thread contains what must be a photo of the HORSE LEG prototype ABM radar:

http://forums.airbase.ru/viewtopic.php?pid=689883
 

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Thanks a million! Was news to me. I've been searching for a pic of Don-2NP for some time.
 
Yup, that is definitely HORSE LEG. Good find!
 
More stuff from Sary Shagan, including but not limited to, Don-2NP:

http://www.panoramio.com/user/931649

I suppose many will have seen it already, given that the gallery is linked in Google Earth, but still worth mentioning IMHO.
 
An image of the Kamchatka RSN-225 (FLAT TWIN) from http://pvo.guns.ru/abm/rsn225.htm. The hangar in the background can also be seen in Google Earth.

Next on my wish list is the PAWN SHOP (SPK) missile guidance radar. ;)
 

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Forget PAWN SHOP, I want to see one of the S-225 TELs ;D
 
Forget S-225 TELs, I want to see S-550 TELs :D (Besides, are you sure the S-225 had TELs? I think it could just have had (relocatable?) launchers (well, probably some sort of transloaders too.))
 
And finally we have good quality pictures of Don-2NP (HORSE LEG) (see http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,239.msg111044.html#msg111044) and RSN-225 (5K17) FLAT TWIN (from http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-346.html).

Case closed, I would say ;D

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