For effective operation, artillery needs various means of reconnaissance. With their help, it is necessary to control the results of firing, as well as determine the location of enemy batteries. Now, to solve such problems, specialized radar stations are used that can track the flight and the hit of shells or missiles. In the near future, reconnaissance artillerymen will have to start operating a new reconnaissance complex using different detection methods. The promising automated complex 1B75 "Penicillin" is capable of performing all its tasks by processing sound and visual information.
Now the main contribution to the work of artillery reconnaissance is made by specialized radar stations. They are able to track the flight of their own and enemy shells, determining the points of their launch and fall. Identifying the point of impact of your projectile allows you to adjust the aiming of the guns to successfully hit the target, and information about the place where the enemy is launched is intended to organize a retaliatory strike. Reconnaissance radars do their job, but they are not without drawbacks. First of all, they are susceptible to the negative influence of electronic warfare means or strikes with the use of anti-radar weapons.
In the distant past, special acoustic systems were used to locate firing positions and places where projectiles fell. As it turned out, the use of sound vibrations and visual information is quite capable of finding application in modern conditions. However, now we are talking about different principles of receiving and processing data using a modern component base.
Several years ago, development work with the Penicillin code started in our country, the purpose of which was to create a fundamentally new automated sound-thermal complex (AZTK) for artillery reconnaissance at the army level. According to the terms of reference, information on flying and falling projectiles should have been collected using seismic sensors and infrared cameras. The use of radar equipment was excluded.
The development of the Penicillin project was carried out at the Vector Research Institute (St. Petersburg), which is part of the Vega radio engineering concern (a division of Rostec). Other enterprises of the industry could be involved in the work. Serial production of products should start in the near future; it was planned to entrust it to the enterprises of the Russian Electronics holding (also part of the Rostec state corporation).
For the first time, the existence of the new AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin" was told to the general public in March 2017. By this time, the enterprises participating in the project managed to complete the development of technical documentation, and also built a prototype of the complex. Testing of equipment was also started at one of the training grounds of the Russian Ministry of Defense. These circumstances allowed the military department not only to tell the public about a promising development, but also to show it in action. However, the bulk of the data on the new intelligence complex was not subject to disclosure.
In May last year, representatives of Ruselectronics clarified information on the Penicillin project, and also announced some new information. In addition, the latest news and plans for the near future were published. It was reported that at that time, the 1B75 product was completing state tests. In the near future, it was supposed to carry out the required procedures, after which it was possible to start mass production. The start of the assembly of serial complexes is scheduled for early 2019.
Subsequently, materials on the Penicillin AZTK project, including a model, were demonstrated at the Army exhibition. It is curious that the models shown this year were noticeably different in appearance from the prototypes that were tested and became the "protagonists" of last spring's news. Nevertheless, the overall architecture of the complex, its functions and capabilities remained the same.
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The 1B75 "Penicillin" automated sound-thermal artillery reconnaissance system is a mobile system on a self-propelled chassis, capable of monitoring the situation in a given area and detecting the operation of enemy guns or controlling the firing accuracy of its own artillery. By using fundamentally new ways of working, the complex solves its problems without revealing itself with any radiation. All the main devices of the complex, with the exception of communication facilities, operate exclusively in the receive mode.
The promising AZTK is being built on the basis of an automobile chassis with appropriate characteristics. So, the prototypes tested last year were based on the KamAZ-63501 machine. This year, the exhibition showed a layout of the reconnaissance complex based on a different chassis. The available data suggest that the "Penicillin" equipment can be mounted on base cars of different models. Only the carrying capacity and dimensions of the cargo area matter.
The prototypes were built on the KamAZ-63501 chassis. It is an all-wheel drive four-axle vehicle designed for mounting various target equipment or other payloads. The machine is equipped with a 360 hp diesel engine. and is capable of carrying a load with a total weight of up to 16 tons on a frame. The maximum speed on the highway exceeds 90 km / h, regardless of the type of payload.
In the case of "Penicillin", a new unit is mounted on the chassis, behind the cab of the cabover-free layout, which includes a support for the mast device and a box for storing special devices. A unified box body is installed behind it, accommodating automated workstations, special equipment, etc. Also, the chassis is equipped with four hydraulic jacks. A couple of such devices are located next to the special equipment, the other two are at the rear of the machine.
One of the means of reconnaissance is the "Penicillin-OEM" optoelectronic module. It is a stabilized platform with several cameras of several types, mounted on a lifting mast. In its current form, the 1B75 complex is equipped with a lifting mast. When the complex is transferred to the working position, the mast rises vertically, bringing the cameras to the required height. In the stowed position, the mast is laid back on the roof of the van. The platform with cameras is equipped with vertical and horizontal alignment drives, providing all-round azimuth and elevation angle changes.
Penicillin-OEM includes six television cameras and the same number of thermal imagers. They are housed in two box-shaped bodies, movably fixed on a common rotary base. Both housings have mechanized front covers to protect the optics from damage during transport. Television and thermal imaging cameras have an angle of view of 70 ° in azimuth and 10 ° in elevation. The signal from all 12 devices is simultaneously fed to computers and processed together. At the same time, a high quality of "stitching" of individual fields of view is ensured. The chambers can operate continuously for 18 hours, after which a break of 1 hour is required.
With the help of the "Penicillin-OEM" module, the artillery reconnaissance complex should monitor a given sector and detect bursts of shots or shell explosions. By processing data from a set of cameras, the automation is able to determine the direction to the flash point with high accuracy. The calculation of the data on the found break is carried out in real time.
The sound-thermal reconnaissance complex also has means for receiving and processing sound signals. The complex includes four devices for collecting acoustic signals, as well as equipment for their processing. The receiving device is a product with a body of a characteristic curved shape. These devices are proposed to be placed at certain positions near the complex and connected to it using cables. The main element of the receiver is a seismic sensor that receives ground vibrations and converts them into an electrical signal.
A shot from an artillery gun or a burst of a projectile creates a sound wave in the ground that propagates over considerable distances. Receiving devices "Penicillin" are able to detect this wave, after which the automation makes the necessary calculations. The special arrangement of the four seismic sensors leads to the reception of oscillations with one or another delay. The difference in the time of arrival of the signal allows you to determine the direction to the source of oscillations, as well as the distance to it. Apparently, sound reconnaissance means can be used in conjunction with optical ones, which significantly increases the speed of calculations and the accuracy of determining the coordinates of the gun or the place where the projectile falls.
According to published data, AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin" is capable of detecting firing positions or places where shells fall in an area up to 25 km wide along the front. The detection range of the enemy mortar reaches 10 km, and other samples of cannon artillery - 18 km. Provides high detection accuracy: up to 1.5 arc minutes in azimuth. It takes only 5 seconds to calculate the location of the source of sound waves or infrared radiation. Regardless of the conditions and intensity of artillery work, the complex can take a bearing of at least 90% of explosions or shots.
With the help of standard means of communication, "Penicillin" is able to interact with artillery formations. He can work in spotter mode and determine the places where the shells fall, the data on which will allow the gunners to correct the aiming and deliver an accurate strike. When solving counter-battery missions, the 1B75 complex must identify enemy firing positions and issue target designation to its artillerymen for a retaliatory strike. It takes minimal time to receive and process data with the subsequent delivery of information to consumers, which increases the efficiency of artillery.
The most important feature of the new AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin" is the ability to work at some distance from the front line. In addition, it is distinguished by the absence of unmasking factors during operation. All the main components of the complex work only for reception, while in the transmission mode, only a radio station is operating, providing communication. Thus, the enemy is unable to identify specific signs and take action against this complex. In this respect, "Penicillin" has advantages over other means of artillery reconnaissance, using different principles of detection.
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Last year it was reported that a new type of automated sound-thermal artillery reconnaissance complex is undergoing state tests and will be able to go into series in the foreseeable future. Recently, there has been no negative news about Penicillin, which is cause for optimism. Apparently, the industry has successfully coped with the tasks set, and is currently preparing production facilities for the future release of equipment.
What will be the order of the Ministry of Defense for 1B75 "Penicillin" for the domestic ground forces has not yet been specified. However, the consequences of acquiring such equipment are already clear and obvious. The new means will increase the potential of reconnaissance units and at the same time have a positive effect on the capabilities of missile forces and artillery. Rocketeers and gunners will be able to hit designated targets faster and more efficiently or defend their troops from enemy fire.
