Viru radar station dome being topped out as work nears completion

A radar station in Ida-Viru County is nearing its finish, with a weather and climate-resistant dome being installed.

The radar station was due to go online this year, but this has been postponed to next year due to construction delays.

The under-construction Viru radar station is being built atop a spoil heap located in a former mining area, near the village of Kalina in Alutaguse municipality.

The station is visible to drivers on both the Jõhvi-Tartu and Jõhvi-Sompa roads, and building work is nearing completion.

Ando Voogma, northern/northeastern portfolio manager at the State Defense Investment Center (RKIK) said: "The radar building and all exterior work are almost finished, while interior work is ongoing."

"The building will be completed by the end of the year, and the radar installation will take place in the first half of next year," Voogma added.

The most obvious part of the station, its cupola, is in the process of being installed (see gallery). "In our weather conditions, this is needed to protect the radar from ice, rain, and snow," Voogma explain.

Voogma added that building the facility atop the spoil heap had not proven a particularly difficult project. "It hasn't been any more complicated than ordinary construction, except for the cold winds at the top of the hill during the winter, which made daily construction work more challenging."

Nonetheless the Viru radar station's launch is slightly behind schedule. "This is due to a three-month delay in deliveries, but the radar will now be delivered early next year," the portfolio manager added.

The station is crucial for both Estonian and NATO defense capabilities. "The radar will improve air surveillance. It will provide better monitoring for Estonia and the NATO allies, and it will help detect both aircraft and drones," Voogma added.

Another radar station being built on Hiiumaa which will house the French active radar Ground Master 403 Alpha is also slightly behind its original schedule.

Initially set to become operational in 2025, the revised deadline is the first half of 2026.

The installation of both radar stations combined comes to over €50 million.

Another significant factor is that the new radar will reduce the restrictions on off-shore and on-shore wind turbine heights and other parameters. The older radar had set a limit which led to lengthy delays of several years in the building of a private sector wind-farm, also in Ida-Viru County.

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