Irbis (counter-battery radar)
Mobile counter-battery and surveillance radar of the ground forces
Russian mobile radar first shown in July 2024 with the 'North' group of forces near Kharkiv. It tracks the trajectory of incoming mortar, artillery and rocket rounds, works out the firing position from it and passes the coordinates to Russian firing units. According to Russian claims it can also monitor airspace and detect aircraft and drones. No type designation is known, and the system was not mentioned anywhere before 2024. Ukrainian sources call it rare. Not to be confused with the Su-35's Irbis-E airborne radar, which has the same name.
Learn more in the AirDefense Academy →General
- Role
- Counter-battery (locating mortars, tube artillery and MLRS from the round's trajectory); also air surveillance
- Vehicle
- Command post on a KamAZ-6350 (8x8) with an armoured cab and armoured body against fragments and small arms; the antenna has not been shown and is probably on a separate vehicle
- Antenna
- Probably an AESA (a switch labelled 'AESA' on the control panel); not confirmed
- Known use
- July 2024 'North' group (Kharkiv) according to the Russian MoD; later reported with the 236th Artillery Brigade ('West' group) — source: Militarnyi, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, ANNA News
Performance (Russian claim, not independently confirmed)
- Range
- Up to ≈ 81 NM (150 km); sources differ on whether this figure refers to artillery detection or air surveillance
Threat
- Use Oct. 2026
- Ukraine's 43rd Artillery Brigade located an Irbis with a reconnaissance drone; the radar moved after being spotted, but its coordinates had already been passed on and the brigade says the system was hit (8 Oct. 2026) — source: Defense Express, United24, RU Mil Tracker e-20261011-s05; Ukrainian claim
- Countermeasure
- Active radar: it emits while working and can then be found with ESM/direction finding and drone reconnaissance; moving quickly is its own protection
- Threat level
- Medium — not a weapon, but it directs Russian counter-battery fire
News archive 2
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
-
Ukrainian Reconnaissance Drone Detects russian Irbis Counter-Battery Radar (Video) (Defense Express)
According to Defense Express, Ukraine's 43rd Brigade detected a Russian Irbis counter-battery radar with a reconnaissance drone and passed its coordinates to neighbouring Ukrainian units for further action. The brigade released footage of the drone tracking the radar system after it had been spotted. The brigade says the system began to manoeuvre and change…
-
«Ірбіс» відчув, що пахне смаженим: російська РЛС спробувала втекти, але дрон уже передав координати (ArmyInform: 'Irbis' smelled trouble: Russian radar tried to flee, but the drone had already passed on its coordinates)
According to ArmyInform, aerial-reconnaissance crews of Ukraine's 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade spotted a Russian 'Irbis' radar with a reconnaissance drone and kept it under observation. When the radar detected the drone it began manoeuvring and changing position, but the crews had already passed its coordinates to neighbouring units. The brigade publishe…