Powerful Explosion at Russian Military Base Destroys Two Advanced Anti-Drone Systems

In the early hours of February 7, a powerful explosion struck a Russian military facility just outside Moscow, with the blast reportedly destroying two 117Zh6 RLK-MC Valday radar systems—Russia’s latest anti-drone technology designed for round-the-clock detection and electronic warfare, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence reported on February 13.

The Valday system, developed by Russia’s defense industry, is the first of its kind to be officially adopted by the Russian army. The base where the explosion occurred is responsible for securing Moscow’s airspace, making the incident particularly significant.

The 117Zh6 RLK-MC Valday—also marketed internationally as “ROSC-1"—is one of the newest creations of the Russian defense giant Almaz-Antey. Development began in 2016, and the system was officially deployed in 2022, with units quickly sent to the frontlines in Ukraine.

According to open-source data, the Valday system was designed to detect and neutralize small, low-speed aerial targets, including mini and micro UAVs. It reportedly has a detection range of:

• 4–6 km for small drones like DJI Mavic and DJI Phantom,

• 15 km for larger UAVs,

• 2 km for disrupting control and data transmission channels,

• 2 km for jamming satellite navigation signals.

The system refreshes its tracking data every 2.5 seconds and operates within a frequency range of 490–5900 MHz.

Additionally, the Valday is equipped with an optical-electronic system that provides 360-degree thermal and visual surveillance. It can also work alongside the “Volk-18” drone interceptor.

Russian state media previously touted the Valday as a cutting-edge system, with developers boasting that its AI-powered algorithms could distinguish a small drone from a flock of birds—something they claimed no other system in the world could do.

Earlier, Ukrainian troops targeted a Russian R-330Zh “Zhitel” electronic warfare system worth $10 million and a 152mm Msta-B howitzer in Russia’s Kursk region.