The "Vileyka" VLF transmitter is the site of the 43rd Communications Center of the Russian Navy (), located west of the town of
Vileyka
Vileyka or Vilyeyka is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Vileyka District. It is located on the Viliya River, northwest of Minsk. The first historical record dates from 16 November 1460. As of 2025, the ...
in
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
(). The "Vileyka"
VLF
Very low frequency or VLF is the ITU designation for radio frequencies (RF) in the range of 3–30 kHz, corresponding to wavelengths from 100 to 10 km, respectively. The band is also known as the myriameter band or myriameter wave ...
transmitter is an important facility for transmitting orders to
submarines
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...
in the very low frequency range. Beside this, it is used for transmitting the time signal
RJH69 at certain times.
In common with the former
Goliath transmitter of the ''
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
'' in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the antenna system of the "Vileyka" VLF transmitter consists of three antenna systems with a central mast insulated against ground from which antenna wires run to six grounded ring masts, where they are fixed by insulators. As at former Goliath transmitter, three ring masts carry two antenna systems, so there are only 15 ring masts on the site.
A further common ground to former Goliath transmitter is, that the ring masts of the Goliath transmitter are masts of lattice steel with triangular cross section, while the central masts are steel tube masts.
The 15 ring masts of the "Vileyka" VLF transmitter are , and the three central masts of VLF transmitter are tall. Their height surpasses therefore the height of the masts of former Goliath transmitter nearly exactly of .
See also
*
Russian military presence in Belarus
The Russian military's presence in Belarus has increased greatly in size from its original deployments since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Russian military has been accused of assisting in the crackdown on the 2020–2021 Belarusian p ...
*
Baranavichy Radar Station
External links
* http://englishrussia.com/?p=1207#more-1207
Military radio systems
Radio masts and towers in Europe
Russian and Soviet Navy bases
Buildings and structures in Minsk region
Military electronics of Russia
Communications in the Soviet Union
Military installations of Russia in other countries
Towers in Belarus
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