R-187 Azart – Russian Fighter Airman's 'Emergency' Tactical Communications Radio

One of the devices in the Integrated Aircrew Survival And Self Defense System used by Russian fighter pilots is the R-187 Azart tactical radio. This is the mainstay device for Russian pilots to communicate in emergency situations and conditions, or when they are "Behind Enemy Lines."

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R-187 Azart is a sixth generation Software Defined Radio (SDR) capable of accessing communications in almost all waveforms. This handheld tactical radio can operate on frequencies between 27-520 MHz with a range of up to 4 kilometers.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that this tactical radio can also communicate with mobile phones and can receive modulated signals – converting digital data into radio signals. The R-187 Azart is said to have entered service in 2017, with deliveries continuing thereafter.

The procurement of these radios is predicted to provide a secure and anti-jamming communications system for the Russian armed forces. Due to the implementation of a unique pseudo-random operational frequency readjustment (FHSS) algorithm, it becomes impossible for enemy electronic warfare assets to suppress radio channels, intercept or input falsified data.

The R-187 Azart is equipped with GLONASS/GPS integrated navigation which provides self-positioning with an accuracy of 25 meters in latitude/longitude and 40 meters in altitude. Exchange of data on customer positions is possible in automatic and manual mode.

R-187 Azart

The R-187 Azart is equipped with an internal IR port and a USB interface to connect to a PC. This radio is equipped with two modes, namely automatic relay mode and time division multiplex mode. Packet switching on these radios ensures interconnectivity of the Azart system with data transfer networks and civil mobile radiotelephone networks. 

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The advantages of this mode can be utilized by special forces operating in urban areas. Ergonomically designed, the R-187 Azart weighs around 500 grams and has dimensions of 195 × 70 × 40 mm.