V. F. Akimov, A. M. Batakov, Yu. K. Kalinin, V. N. Strelkin

The possibilities of the organization of remote monitoring of air conditions in the region of Northern Stream gas pipeline are investigated. As a data carrier, the wave packages of radio waves emitted by the ionospheric radar, removed from monitoring region to a distance of 1,5 - 2,5 thousand km, are considered. For ionospheric conditions of the autumn of 2010 (solar activity , midday, latitude band 45 - 55 N), signals reflected by air targets have been obtained. Construction and subsequent operation of the Northern Stream gas pipeline makes the regions of the Baltic and Northern Sea area a zone of special economic interest by the Russian Federation. In these conditions, possibility of remote monitoring of air space in these zones presents practical value. Such monitoring can be carried out on the basis of the over-the-horizon ionospheric radar location. In this case, the carrier of information about objects in airspace outside the line of direct visibility are the radio-wave packages, obliquely reflected from the conductive layers of the gas envelope of the Earth - ionosphere. As a means providing remote monitoring of the specified areas, the over-the-horizon radar located in the centre of the European part of the Russian Federation [1,2] can be used. Below, we analyse the results of the broadcast of this radar in the autumn of 2010 in the morning and afternoon. For the broadcast, we plan to use the ionospheric trace oriented in the western direction and located in the latitude band of 45 - 55 degrees north latitude. According to the data of the long-term forecast [3] in the autumn of 2010 solar activity was very low, . The first area of monitoring was at a distance D~2.5, second D~1.5 thousand km. We chose operating frequency for daytime of MHz, for morning time of 11 MHz. We present the results of monitoring of air conditions around the North Sea in October, 2010, at midday time, and in the central part of the Baltic Sea in the morning in the form of the maps of the regions that contain data on detected aircraft. The data presented testifies the possibility of realization of remote monitoring of air conditions in the region of Northern Stream gas pipeline on the basis of an ionospheric radar location.