336th Radio-Technical Regiment
Unit Identification and Designators
The entries refer to the 336th Radio-Technical Regiment (radiotechnical troops of the Russian Aerospace Forces), administrative designation military unit 03013 (в/ч 03013). The reference to “HQ” denotes the regimental headquarters. The additional designations military unit 03013-2 and 03013-3 identify subordinate elements recorded under the same parent regiment for administrative purposes. The “/R” tag appears to be a shorthand notation and is not an official Russian designation. Russian military unit numbers are used for administrative, legal, and postal functions and do not inherently disclose location.
Mission and Operational Role
Radio-technical regiments provide ground-based radar surveillance and airspace control within the Russian integrated air defense network. Core tasks include continuous detection, identification (IFF), tracking, and reporting of airborne objects; formation and dissemination of the recognized air picture; and provision of target designation and track data to surface-to-air missile (SAM) formations and fighter aviation control points. They maintain round-the-clock combat duty and coordinate with adjacent sectors to ensure uninterrupted coverage at multiple altitudes.
Command Relationships and Integration
Radio-technical regiments are subordinated to air defense formations of an Air and Air Defense Army within the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), generally via divisional or corps-level air defense commands. Radar data from the regiment are transmitted to higher-echelon command posts and to automated control systems supporting SAM units and fighter aviation. Depending on the region, outputs can be integrated into joint regional air defense arrangements with allied states under CIS frameworks, consistent with established agreements.
Organizational Structure
A typical radio-technical regiment consists of a headquarters with a regimental command post and multiple radio-technical battalions, each controlling several radar companies or separate posts. Supporting elements include communications, power-generation, maintenance and metrology, transport, security, and supply units. The presence of military units 03013-2 and 03013-3 conforms to the common practice of assigning distinct administrative identifiers to subordinate detachments while retaining their operational subordination to the regimental headquarters.
Headquarters Functions (military unit 03013)
The regimental headquarters conducts operational management of air surveillance within its sector, assigns tasks to subordinate radar sites, consolidates tracks into a recognized air picture, and maintains liaison with adjacent regiments and higher headquarters. It oversees personnel training, technical maintenance plans, logistics, and resource allocation, and ensures the regiment’s continuous combat duty posture. The headquarters typically hosts the primary communications hub and data fusion capability for radar inputs from dispersed posts.
Subordinate Elements (military units 03013-2 and 03013-3)
The designations 03013-2 and 03013-3 identify subordinate elements that operate dispersed radar positions and, where applicable, battalion-level command posts. These detachments maintain radar coverage of assigned sub-sectors, operate allocated sensors, and provide redundancy through overlapping fields of view. They are distinct for administrative and budgeting purposes but are operationally controlled by military unit 03013 (the regimental HQ).
Infrastructure and Site Characteristics
Regimental infrastructure typically includes a main garrison with command facilities, barracks, maintenance workshops, storage, fuel, and generator plants, alongside multiple prepared radar positions. Dispersed radar sites usually feature concrete foundations for antenna masts, equipment shelters, backup power, and secured perimeters. Elevated masts or towers are employed to extend radar line-of-sight for improved low-altitude detection. Connectivity from remote posts to the regimental command post and higher echelons uses fiber-optic links, radio-relay systems, and, where required, troposcatter communications.
Radar and Support Equipment (typical for VKS radio-technical regiments)
Across the Radiotechnical Troops, regiments employ a layered mix of legacy and modern sensors. Commonly fielded systems include VHF-band search radars (e.g., P-18 series; 55Zh6U Nebo-U; 55Zh6M Nebo-M), 3D surveillance radars (e.g., 64L6 Gamma-S1; 59N6 Protivnik-G), low-altitude radars (e.g., Podlet-K1), legacy 3D sets (e.g., 19Zh6 ST-68U), and height-finders (e.g., PRV-13 and PRV-17). Integration with all-altitude detectors such as 96L6 occurs within the broader air defense network. Specific equipment allocations for military unit 03013 and its subordinate elements have not been publicly confirmed.
Identification, Data Links, and Automation
Russian radio-technical regiments use the national Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system of the Parol family (and successors), integrated with search radars. Radar tracks are transmitted via digital data links to regimental, divisional, and army-level command posts for automated processing and dissemination to SAM and aviation units. Details of the automation suites and data-link protocols employed by military unit 03013 are not disclosed in open sources.
Operations and Readiness
Radio-technical regiments maintain 24/7 combat duty with rotating watch teams and on-call technical support. Routine activities include scheduled maintenance, calibration and metrology checks, and mobility drills to validate redeployment and reconfiguration of coverage. They participate in command-staff and live-fly exercises to test integration with fighter control and SAM units. Power redundancy and multiple communications paths are maintained to ensure continuity of the air picture during outages or electronic interference.
Administrative Notes on Military Unit Numbers
The designation “military unit 03013” (в/ч 03013) is an administrative identifier used by the Russian Ministry of Defense in correspondence, procurement, and legal documentation. Suffixes such as “03013-2” and “03013-3” designate subordinate detachments with separate accounting and mailing details while remaining part of the 336th Radio-Technical Regiment. This numbering practice is common across Russian forces and does not disclose specific location or equipment.
Historical Context and Modernization
The radiotechnical troops originated in the Soviet air defense system and are now integral to the Russian Aerospace Forces. Following organizational reforms culminating in the establishment of the VKS in 2015, modernization programs have introduced newer radars such as Nebo-M, Gamma-S1, Protivnik-G, and Podlet-K1, alongside upgrades to legacy P-18/19 series. These efforts aim to enhance detection performance, low-altitude coverage, and resistance to electronic warfare. The specific modernization status of military unit 03013 has not been confirmed in publicly available sources.
Information Gaps and Classification Considerations
Open-source materials do not provide verified garrison addresses, geographic coordinates, personnel strengths, or confirmed equipment inventories for the 336th Radio-Technical Regiment (military unit 03013) and its subordinate elements 03013-2 and 03013-3. Detailed tables of organization and equipment, site layouts, and internal command-and-control configurations are typically classified. Consequently, specific locations and asset assignments are not included here due to the absence of verifiable public documentation.