Here is a tough nut for SAM system experts from Iran:







These are the first official publicized photos of what should be the guidance radar of the Talash system with its Sayyad-2 SAM.

My take on what can be seen:
The illumination radar is apparently formed by two separate trucks with two separate dishes. The truck seen in the third photo has a strange dish for a radar system as its seems to have a LNB type receiver only, no transmitting feed system can be seen. What can be seen are two directional transmitters at the sides for mid-course update proposes.

The illumination radar transmitter can be seen in the second photo. So the question that arises is why not integrating the illumination and tracking radar on one truck such as in some other Iranian illumination and tracking radars? The answer for me is the use of continuous wave illumination which cant be archived with a integrated transmitter-receiver system (at least not by older generation mechanically steered systems with high power output). Namely one of the purposes for this Talash system is to replace the massive 5N62 illumination radar of the S-200 with a mobile illumination system. So would a illumination radar which has FMCW transmitter receiver separation requirements, separated by space on two separate trucks be able to split the 5N62 to two smaller mobile systems?

I wonder how useful the lock on after launch capability of the S-200 is, for which the large data-link dish of the 5N62 would be used. If a LOAL system is operationally useful for the S-200, then the question arises whether the two directional antenna feed horns of the receiver truck mentioned above would be sufficient to maintain data-link with the S-200 missile at longer ranges, because its much smaller than the data link dish of the 5N62.

Beside the benefits of replacing the 5N62 with a new mobile illumination radar (called Ofoq apparently), there should also be a improvement of lock-on performance against more agile maneuvering fighter-type targets. The reduced masses and inertia of this smaller system together with improved steering system available today would reduce one of the biggest weak points the S-200 is claimed to have.

The S-200 in Iranian service already uses other detection radars other than the P-14 if necessary, including mobile long range radars available in the IADS. With a mobile replacement for the 5N62 an a mobile medium range SAM with the Sayyad-2, the long range SAM component of the Talash-S200 hybrid would be the last remaining static component of the system (at least a non-emitting one compared to the 5N62 and P-14). The huge radiopower of the S-200 would make this system a quite robust and deadly one especially if digitalized and equipped with new computers and solid-state components.

What is your take and what you think about this interpretation.