Duga radar, Soviet over-the-horizon radar in Vyshhorod Raion, Ukraine
Description
The Duga radar is a massive abandoned antenna array stretching approximately 2,300 feet (700 meters) in length and 490 feet (150 meters) in height near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
History
Built by the Soviet Union between 1972 and 1976, this top-secret early-warning system was designed to detect intercontinental ballistic missile launches from the United States during the Cold War.
Culture
The radar earned its nickname Russian Woodpecker because its powerful shortwave signals produced a repetitive tapping sound at 10 Hz that disrupted civilian radio broadcasts worldwide throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Practical
The radar stands within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and can be visited as part of official guided tours, offering a direct look at this Cold War military technology relic.
Did you know?
This system could bounce radio signals off the ionosphere to detect targets thousands of miles away, utilizing a technique that allowed surveillance beyond the visible horizon and traditional radar limits.
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