Duga Radar - A Brief History of the Woodpecker

I'm sure the Russian Woodpecker has been given attention on ATS in the past, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, I will summarize some of the history behind the legendary Duga radar.

[Part one]

Duga, The Steel Giant

The magnificent steel giant, Duga-1 (Russian: Дуга́), is a 150 meter (490') tall, 700 meter (2,300') long array situated within the 30-mile Chernobyl Zone. The radar, suspected NATO code "STEEL WORK" or "STEEL YARD", was part of a system in operation from 1976 through 1989. The radar was part of a missile defense network serving as an over-the-horizon early detection radar. Its sister, Duga-2, was later built in eastern Siberia. Duga has been the source of many theories ranging from fairly innocuous to fabulously nasty, and was ultimately confirmed to be OTH (or BTH--Beyond The Horizon) radar, although most of the documentation detailing exactly how the Duga radar was used has long been been locked up and/or destroyed.

Duga earned the nickname "The Woodpecker" due to the sound picked up by shortwave radio operators during the radar's broadcast--a sharp 'tapping' noise with a repetition frequency of around 10 hertz. 16 and 20 hz were also used, but rarely. You can hear a clip of the sound produced by Duga here:
Reaching an impressive power of 10 MW, Duga was a regular source of broadcast interruptions, disrupting everything from aviation communications to CB radio. The signal would continue for an average of seven minutes at a time, making communications impossible during its broadcast. This was such a big issue that manufacturers began implementing "Woodpecker Blankers" in their circuit designs. This tremendous (and disruptive) power was required in order to bounce the signal off the ionosphere, which enabled the radar to "see" over the horizon.

The massive phased array antennas comprising the Duga systems facilitated high gain at HF, as well as beam-steering capabilities (the Active Denial System [ADS] and other 'directed energy systems' frequently utilize phased arrays, obviously on a much smaller scale). A prototype was built outside Mykolaiv in Ukraine, and the first experimental Duga installation was built on the same site soon after. The experimental Duga (capable of far less power than Duga 1 and 2) successfully detected rocket launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome, 2,500 km (1,600 miles) away. The concept was proven, and construction began on the full-scale system, Duga-1, in 1972 near Chernobyl and Chernihiv in the Ukrainian SSR, its transmitter and receiver spaced some 60 km/37 miles apart. The Chernobyl antenna was aimed at the United States, who was believed to be the most likely missile threat at the time.

(Great photos of Duga here and here, including photos from inside the control center)

The World Wide Woodpecker

Although the Duga system began operation in 1976, reports of "Woodpecker" signals were detected on the high frequencies as far back as the early 1960s. These have been speculated to have originated from a less powerful Duga forerunner. Soviet development of OTH systems dates back to the 1949 with the little-known Veyer (Hand Fan) radar which is thought to have been the first operational OTH system. In 1976, the Duga system became operational and the Russian Woodpecker signal was detected by radio operators all over the world--Canada, the United States, you name it. Circulating theories about its purpose ranged from signal jamming to brainwashing to OTH (over the horizon) radar, the latter becoming increasingly obvious due to the structures of the signal's modulated pulses as well as the appearance of the second installation in eastern Russia, which covered 'blank spots' of the first radar installation. The jamming theory was quickly debunked when people realized the Woodpecker signal was interfering with local pro-Soviet broadcasts as well.

Concerns regarding electropollution as well as physiological and psychological effects from the powerful signals cropped up during the time of Duga's operation. The Body Electric by Dr. Robert Becker mentions the Woodpecker signal in Chapter 15: Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Within a year or two after the woodpecker began tapping, there were persistent complaints of unaccountable symptoms from people in several cities of the United States and Canada, primarily Eugene, Oregon. The sensations—pressure and pain in the head, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, lack of coordination, and numbness, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing in the ears—were characteristic of strong radio-frequency or microwave irradiation. In Oregon, between Eugene and Corvallis, a powerful radio signal centering on 4.75 megahertz was monitored, at higher levels in the air than on the ground. Several unsatisfactory theories were advanced, including emanations from winter-damaged power lines, but most engineers who studied the signal concluded that it was a manifestation of the woodpecker. Becker: The Body Electric (copyright 1985 -- reproduced for research purposes only)

Although Duga was not necessarily the type of equipment designed to deliberately induce physical or psychological discomfort or anything like 'Microwave Auditory Effect' (sound and even speech generated directly in the mind of the subject using microwaves), the enormously powerful signals raised a few alarms and sparked heightened awareness of the potential uses and effects of high powered Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation-based 'directed energy' systems (utilizing high powered microwaves, etc). The effects of RF or microwave irradiation have been studied extensively, especially as "domesticated" RF technology expanded throughout society (which, for the most part, is considered 'relatively harmless' at the low levels utilized by most personal gadgetry). Studies have also been done regarding effects experienced by people who have encountered anomalous aerospace objects (or UAPs) and sustained subsequent apparent NIEMR related injuries (the author [Wave] is currently conducting one such study).

[To Be Continued]

[Part 2]
The broad range of RF/microwave effects is beyond the scope of this article, but as you can see, the appearance of the Woodpecker signal led to heightened awareness of the quickly growing concerns regarding the effects RF on humans and animals. Although this video contains some dated ideas, there is some relevant information to digest:

A Duga By Any Other Name Would Sound as Sweet

Chernobyl-2 was the top-secret home for families and military personnel who worked at the site. The area consisted of two parts--the town itself, and the Duga-1 site (antenna and control room). Soviet countries usually named their secret military installations and objects after neighboring towns, but in the case of the highly secretive Duga project, the name was likely chosen to confuse enemy forces. Duga (Дуга́) translates as 'arc' or 'curve'. Lyubech-1, the site of the transmitters, was located a short distance from the town of Chernihiv and was demolished in 2000. You may be wondering why many people refer to the Chernobyl antennas as "Duga-3". This is technically incorrect and is a result of different ways of counting the installations (such as counting from first prototype to first full-scale installation) as well as the historic secrecy surrounding the system, when in fact the antennas are part of the Duga-1 system.

The Duga system continued undergoing improvements and maintenance through the mid-1980s up until the Chernobyl disaster. The radar was kept on standby for over a year, until it became obvious that operating in the disaster area would not be possible. Still, the receiver and control rooms stand within the Zone, a popular site for tourists and explorers. The adventurous Ukrainian novelist Markiyan Kamysh detailed his trips to the zone with frequent visits to the Duga-1 site, in his book A Stroll to the Zone (english version Stalking The Atomic City). He described the site as a particularly peaceful area. The massive, imposing structure framed by the quiet forested area is an unforgettable sight with a haunting mystique. Those who've been in the presence of the antenna will tell you that it "talks" to you--the creaking and groaning of the massive steel structure composes a unique soundtrack to the otherwise relatively quiet area. What, exactly, it is trying to say may remain a mystery forever, but its story has been immortalized in radio and military history.

Although OTH radars like Duga have been somewhat phased out in favor of airborne early warning systems, due to the need for less-expensive ground-based radars for roles such as maritime recon, OTH systems have been making a comeback. In 2014, Russia announced a new OTH system, Container, which became operational in december of 2013, and entered combat duty on December 1, 2019. Another Container radar is planned for deployment Kaliningrad. Container has a range of 3,000 km (1,864 miles).

The Container system consists of two arrays--a transmitter array and a receiver array. The receiver consists of 144 34 m high antenna masts. The total array is 1,300 meters long and is located 8 km southwest of Koyylkino, Mordovia, Russia. There are three arrays within the receiver arranged in an equilateral triangle configuration. The transmitter array is 440 meters wide and consists of 36 reconfigurable masts, and was originally located 5 kn north of Gorodets town, Nizhegorodskaya oblast', Russia, but was dismantled in February of 2018 and relocated to an area 15 km southeast of the original location. It monitors the airspace west of Russia, the Medeterranean Sea, and the Black Sea region. Its signals have been compared to Duga's Woodpecker Signal by amateur radio operators who were able to detect Container's signals in the 9.2 - 19.745 MHz frequency band.

Duga's legacy as a powerful pioneering OTH radar carries on as newer systems like Container continue cropping up today. Although documentation containing details regarding the missions Duga accomplished over the years has been lost to history (and/or secrecy), the mystery was, at least for the most part, solved and explained as one of the original early detection systems. That said, the mystique and awe of the retired steel giant, Duga-1, lives on as an indelible facet of Soviet radar history.

I was thinking i still didn't know that. a reply to: wavelength

a reply to: wavelength

Although Duga was not necessarily the type of equipment designed to deliberately induce physical or psychological discomfort or anything like 'Microwave Auditory Effect' (sound and even speech generated directly in the mind of the subject using microwaves), the enormously powerful signals raised a few alarms and sparked heightened awareness of the potential uses and effects of high powered Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation-based 'directed energy' systems (utilizing high powered microwaves, etc).

I remember reading the same the same about the HAARP array at Gakona. When visiting my son in Fairbanks he indulged me with a drive-by.; what a sight!

I've often wondered what other purpose these arrays might have than what the official story is. Oh, the possibilities!

a reply to: nugget1

You lucky thing, you! I would love to see the HAARP array in person.
The video with Antony Sutton up there in Part 2 goes talks about electromagnetic psychotronics (intended to affect human brain activity at a distance), and at around 2:00 it goes on about the "other" theorized capabilities and clandestine missions Duga may have been assigned to. Dr. Robert Becker, the author of the above cited The Body Electric, makes an appearance in the video as well.
Some of the ideas proposed later in the video are a little dated and "out there", but the concept of psychotronics is real and devices have been engineered and tested, and concepts have been proven. They know the frequencies, wavelengths, powers etc. They know the physiological effects attributed to certain transmissions. They know the psychological effects. They've successfully produced Microwave Auditory Effect/Synthetic Telepathy. The tech is there, and this is just the unclassified material.
Perhaps Duga may or may not have had a "side-job" as anything like that (at least, perhaps not on purpose!!), but other devices have been operated with the deliberate intention of those types of effects. Much of that information is under secure lock and key.

While I'm "in town", here's a note on OTH radar:

The purpose of Over-The-Horizon (OTH) radar systems is to detect targets at a long range (below the horizon, hundreds to thousands of km away). Traditional ground-based radar systems are limited to the line of sight. OTH radar circumvents this limitation by broadcasting powerful radio signals (in Duga's case, 10 MW!) which are reflected by the ionosphere to reach the target. This reflection technique to "see" over the horizon explains the name 'Duga' (arc or curve). OTH radars are usually used as early detection systems, like Duga, but they are also used for maritime navigation and surveillance.

Duga was a Shortwave Propagation OTH system. In shortwave prop OTH radar, the radar transmits HF (3 to 30 MHz) radio signals at a precise angle (generally about 2 to 4 degrees off the horizon) from the antenna/array. The signals refract (or 'bounce') off the ionosphere back down to the earth far away (below the horizon). When the signals reach the target, some of the signals reflect back into the ionosphere and return to the antenna, coming back roughly the same way they went out.
Here's a quick diagram I made. Rough. I swear I'm a better artist than this... but it gives you the idea.

a reply to: wavelength

They've successfully produced Microwave Auditory Effect/Synthetic Telepathy. The tech is there, and this is just the unclassified material.

Not trying to derail your thread, but this is why I 100% believe the nearly 400 million firearms and 2A are no longer valid arguments to 'remaining free' in the US. The future will need to be based on brain over brawn.

The things that can be done with sound and microwave are almost beyond belief! To consider public knowledge is usually 20+ years behind what has already been developed and perfected adds a whole new perspective to 'reality'.

a reply to: nugget1

Absolutely, the tech is extraordinarily versatile. One of the more fascinating areas of the subject is the association of RF effects (injurious and non-injurious) with anomalous aerospace objects (not necessarily 'alien spaceships', but more often advanced technology mounted to/integrated with the objects). Lots of technical applications of high powered microwaves and other RF shenanigans besides radar and heating.

Radar was one of my first interests back when I first got into radios/electronics. I was awestruck by Duga when I saw a photo of the array for the first time. I'd seen plenty of other antennas and equipment, but owing to its history and magnificent structure, Duga has a mystique of its own.

a reply to: wavelength

At the risk of dating myself, Wardenclyffe Tower was my introduction to the deepest rabbit hole I know.

a reply to: nugget1

Ooh, another fine specimen of tower, one of Tesla's magnificent children.

Here's a semi-closeup of the 490' (150 meter) tall Duga receiving antenna:

And let's not forget the impressive 'Konteyner' (Container) array.

By Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation - function.mil.ru...@egNews, CC BY 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org...

a reply to: wavelength

Yes! And then we have the Marx generator from the Soviet era. Created in the 70's to test the effects of lightening on aircraft, it was eventually abandoned because of operating costs.

a reply to: nugget1

Terrifying, mystifying, and huge.
I'd be lying to you if I told you I didn't want to be anywhere in the vicinity it when it's fired.
I want to push the button.



All goofin' aside...
One more extreme closeup of the Duga array. Each one of these pieces is huge.
So cool and so surreal — a massive wall of antennas, pylons, and rusting steel that can be seen for miles around, piercing the horizon above an otherwise unassertive forest.

a reply to: wavelength

Your threads are waking up long forgotten tidbits of wonderment I've kept locked away in a closet in my mind; please keep them coming!

a reply to: nugget1

Thanks nugget, I'm glad you find this stuff interesting. It's always a treat to find people who appreciate the same oddities I do.