Vietnam successfully produces BR-12 maritime radar.
According to QPVN, the Radar Institute under the Military Science and Technology Institute (MST) has surprised everyone by successfully creating a model of the BR-12 radar.
Given the limitations of our country's economy and the relatively low level of science and technology compared to the rest of the world, the exploitation, mastery, and technical maintenance of modern weapons and equipment is a mandatory and indispensable requirement to enhance the combat capabilities of the army, improve national defense potential, and proactively prepare for all situations.
In that spirit, the Radar Institute under the Military Science and Technology Institute has fostered creativity and produced useful, specialized products that effectively serve the combat readiness training mission of the army.
 |
| Vietnamese warships are equipped with domestically developed fire control radar. |
In that spirit, over the years, the Institute has successfully developed hundreds of research projects in the fields of radar and microwave. These include the BR-12 digitally controlled phased array radar model, researched, designed, and manufactured by the Radar Laboratory of the Radar Institute.
The product is the BR-12 radar – a short-range, two-coordinate maritime surveillance radar system used to detect, determine the coordinates, and track targets on the sea surface such as rubber boats, fishing vessels, and warships. It also detects slow-moving airborne targets within the radar's coverage area, such as helicopters and propeller aircraft.
This radar station has a range measurement error of 10m or less and an azimuth measurement error of 3 degrees or less. The station consists of an antenna system, a transceiver system, and a display processing system.
According to Colonel – Dr. Tran Van Hung, Director of the Radar Institute, Vietnam Academy of Military Science and Technology: “Initially, the Institute has grasped the core technology. This technology ensures that the Institute can cooperate well with partners to develop maritime radars, as well as proactively design, manufacture, and ensure the operation and mastery of modern weaponry.”
Prior to successfully producing the BR-12 maritime radar model, Vietnam had also successfully manufactured and deployed the MP-123 fire control radar for warships. This is a basic sensor system on most new warships of the Vietnam People's Navy today.
The MP-123 radar, also known as the MP-123 fire control system, is designed to target various shipborne weapon systems, such as the AK-100, AK-176, AK-230, AK-630M, AK-726, A-190 naval guns and the 122-140mm HPO-MC rocket artillery systems.
Vietnam's successful production of the MP-123 fire control system is particularly significant because currently, most modern warships of the Vietnamese Navy use AK-176 naval guns, with only a few older Soviet-era ships still using AK-726 or AK-230.
According to publicly available information, the MP-123 is a multi-component integrated fire control system responsible for detecting, tracking, and designating targets for combat operations. Under conditions of strong electronic jamming, the MP-123 is equipped with an electro-optical radar (integrating a TV channel and laser target designation) with a detection range of up to 25 km.
The combination of the advanced MP-123 fire control radar and the AK-176 naval gun makes combat operation very simple and highly effective. The gunner does not need to sit in the turret; instead, they can fire from the warship's control room.