P-35
Russian Air Defense Forces

P-35 Saturn
NATO: Bar Lock
Operator: 11th Air and Air Defense Forces Army PVO
Location: Eastern Military District
Timeframe: 1993-94

Personal interest:
This model represents a Russian P-35 Saturn early warning ground control and interception radar. The P-35 was very old even during my service with the US Air Force in Alaska, but many were still in operation. Older interceptors like the Su-15, MiG-23 and MiG-25 were highly dependent on Ground Control Intercept (GCI) tactics, requiring the PVO to maintain dense radar coverage, which could explain their continued use of the 1950s vintage radar. Use of GCI had begun to diminish during the 1990s, as newer aircraft like the MiG-31 and Su-27 that were not dependent on GCI began to replace the older interceptors.

The P-35 was used extensively by Iraq during my 1996 tour of duty for Operation Southern Watch. Using Soviet doctrine, GCI was used by Iraqi MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-25 aircraft. Only the Iraqi Mirage F.1 pilots, with French training, operated somewhat autonomously, given that Iraq's MiG-29 fleet had been grounded.