Some excellent posts both for the unspecified theoretical minimal air defense and for the hypothetical small and poor country's air defense!

 

At what point does it become worthwile to introduce radars and other sensors to watch and acquire targets rather than relying on unaided human senses?

 

How many and what types of sensors are needed to provide good coverage per given area?

For such a 18000 sq km country, a single long range radar could provide all high/medium altitude coverage (but beware to SEAD!)..Bad weather and night means you need radar.For low level, some short range radars from anti air batteries and obversers can provide a correct coverage.

I think that you need two 3D long range radars for warning and having one shut down to avoid SEAD (and also for maintenance issues).I would recommand one on fixed site with bunker protection (pop up radar) and one mobile.Now radars of SAM batteries and civilian radars add for redundancy and coverage.

Cost of such a radar is 30/35 m$.Then add processor modernisation at mid life and integration in a BMS.

So you can count of a 100/150 m$ overall cost for ground support segment.

French_stratege: Good info on the radars - thanks! By the way, how do you know so much about military equipment including prices? Do you work in French military procurement or something? ;)

 

Murabit: I agree/Suhlasim, dajme to s tymi radarmi tak ako to napisal

To murabit: Dajme, podla mna, len tie prenosne rakety a pripadne aj nejake tie protilietadlove gulomety/dela. Budu aj vacsie staty a tym dame lepsiu protilietadlovu ochranu. Pri tomto malom state ani ta letecka hrozba nie je nejaka velka.

to co on navrhuje s tymi S-300vkami a lietadlami to sa mi moc nezdalo
mas pravdu dame to co vravis este musime vymyslet velkost tych sil
ceny pocita celkom realne ten clovek

este mas skusky ?

Suhlas

Nanestastie, este mam skusky (az do konca juna) a prave sa blizi najintenzivnejsie obdobie...