Zhuk (radar)

The Zhuk radar family is a series of all-weather multimode airborne radars developed in Russia by Phazotron NIIR (now part of the Korporatsiya Fazotron-NIIR). Primarily designed for use in MiG-29 and Su-27/Su-30 family fighter aircraft, the Zhuk radar provides air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities, including target detection, tracking, and engagement.

Early versions, such as the N019 Rubin (NATO reporting name: Slot Back) were developed for the MiG-29. Later, more advanced iterations were introduced, improving performance in range, resolution, and overall capabilities. Examples of subsequent Zhuk variants include the Zhuk-M, Zhuk-ME, and Zhuk-MS.

Key features of the Zhuk radar series often include Doppler beam sharpening, track-while-scan capabilities, and the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously. The different variants offer varied detection ranges, resolution capabilities, and the number of targets that can be tracked and engaged at once. The Zhuk radars have been exported to several countries along with the MiG-29 and Su-30 aircraft.

The ongoing development of the Zhuk radar family continues with improved signal processing and the integration of active electronically scanned arrays (AESA), aiming to enhance its performance and countermeasure resistance in modern aerial combat environments.