A legacy from Cold War period, air defense test site was established in 1956. Back then USA still had long lasting advantage over USSR in long-range delivery means, and USSR tried hard to achieve parity and equilibrium. Area of the test ground was about 450 thousand square kilometers, which is 2,5 times area of Austria, for example. Equipped with the most advanced radar systems, by modern time the test area evolved into anti-missile test facility by late 80s. With the collapse of Soviet Union all of this modern equipment and machinery was literally abandoned and consigned to oblivion in 1994. While some radar are still in use, most of radar stations, even the most advanced ones have been being looted, broken and sold for scrap metal. Its area shrank more than 5 times and now is only a little more than 80 thousand square kilometers. But with growing tension between big international players, most notably, USA, EU, China and Russia, this area is again in regular operation. Nowadays, missiles that start from Kapustin Yar in Russia try to break through to Far East of Russia. These missiles are fully equipped by anti-radar means and only miss real warhead. These missiles should be detected from here and hit at right moment. This is how the best Russian anti-missile systems like S-300/400/500 are tested. Anyway, seeing is better than reading, come to Priozersk!!
Air defence test site
A legacy from Cold War period, air defense test site was established in 1956. Back then USA still had long lasting advantage over USSR in long-range delivery means, and USSR tried hard to achieve parity and equilibrium. Area of the test ground was about 450 thousand square kilometers, which is 2,5 times area of Austria, for example. Equipped with the most advanced radar systems, by modern time the test area evolved into anti-missile test facility by late 80s. With the collapse of Soviet Union all of this modern equipment and machinery was literally abandoned and consigned to oblivion in 1994. While some radar are still in use, most of radar stations, even the most advanced ones have been being looted, broken and sold for scrap metal. Its area shrank more than 5 times and now is only a little more than 80 thousand square kilometers. But with growing tension between big international players, most notably, USA, EU, China and Russia, this area is again in regular operation. Nowadays, missiles that start from Kapustin Yar in Russia try to break through to Far East of Russia. These missiles are fully equipped by anti-radar means and only miss real warhead. These missiles should be detected from here and hit at right moment. This is how the best Russian anti-missile systems like S-300/400/500 are tested. Anyway, seeing is better than reading, come to Priozersk!!