The Armed Forces of Russia received the first batch of the latest artillery reconnaissance systems AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin".

This was announced by Vyacheslav Mikheev, General Director of the Vega Concern (part of the Ruselectronics holding of the Rostec State Corporation).

"In December 2020, in accordance with the signed contract, we handed over to the customer the first batch (of the Penicillin complex. -

RT

)," RIA Novosti quotes Mikheev.

The "Penicillin" complex is intended for reconnaissance and determination of the positions of artillery pieces, mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, as well as the starting positions of anti-aircraft and tactical missiles with simultaneous adjustment of the firing of their artillery.

Detection of firing points is carried out by fixing acoustic and thermal signals from shots and explosions.

This allows you to get the exact coordinates of enemy positions, which are displayed on an electronic map.

The AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin" complex was developed by the specialists of the "Vector Research Institute" JSC, which is part of the "Vega" concern.

For the first time, its existence became known in the spring of 2017, when a prototype of the complex was demonstrated.

At the international military-technical forum "Army-2018", a mock-up of "Penicillin" was presented, and its appearance differed from the original prototypes.

Nevertheless, the overall architecture of the complex, its functions and capabilities remained the same.

State tests of the complex were successfully completed in December 2018.

New principles

Previously, the Russian army was armed with artillery reconnaissance and counter-battery warfare systems, which determined volleys of shells and missile launches using radar stations, as well as sound-measuring systems equipped only with acoustic devices.

According to open sources, unlike this technique, the Penicillin complex detects enemy positions using a new principle of combining thermal and sound reconnaissance.

Thus, it is impossible to suppress it using electronic warfare means.

In addition, this technology allows the system not to give out its position due to the radiation of the radar station, but at the same time maintain high accuracy.

The coordinates of a single target firing, "Penicillin" can get an average of five seconds.

The complex is capable of successfully detecting targets in a strip up to 25 km wide.

  • RIA News

  • © Igor Zarembo

The developers note that, traditionally, the adjustment of artillery fire is carried out by military gunners who work on the front line of the conflict with a high risk to life.

"Penicillin" can work at a safe distance from the enemy in a fully automatic mode, which minimizes the influence of the human factor on its effectiveness.

"Penicillin" can service the firing of one battery, or in turn, each battery of the division.

The unit also provides interaction with subscribers of the automated control system of the tactical and operational level.

The range of radio communication with external subscribers is up to 40 km, ”Ruselectronics reported earlier.

The complex includes several sound receivers installed on the surface of the earth, as well as masts with an optoelectronic module placed on the chassis of a truck - KAMAZ was used as prototypes.

The optoelectronic module "Penicillin-OEM" itself consists of six thermal imaging and six television cameras.

In an interview with RT, the editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Viktor Murakhovsky, noted that the new operating principles allow the complex not only to detect firing positions, but also to determine what types of batteries are located on them.

“By processing the signal that is received in the sound range or from the trajectory of a projectile in the air, the trajectory of rockets or kinetic projectiles, this special computer technology is able to accurately determine the coordinates of enemy artillery and launching ballistic missiles.

In addition, this system is capable of drawing up signatures, portraits of typical artillery objects, multiple launch rocket systems, tactical ballistic missiles, ”Murakhovsky explained.

He added that the Penicillin systems will be integrated into the automated command and control system, into a single intelligence information space, so the data they receive will immediately fall into reconnaissance-strike, reconnaissance-fire circuits, including missile forces and Russian artillery army, aviation, aerospace forces.

“This will allow almost in real time to suppress or destroy enemy firepower.

"Penicillin" will strengthen the capabilities of the Russian artillerymen.

Of course, this is an important element of the intelligence system, but not the only one.

This also includes sound-metric systems in the lower echelons of the organizational and staff structures of the Russian missile forces and artillery, for example, radar stations of the Zoo type and a number of other means, which allow, in general, to receive reliable, timely, relevant information about the enemy's goals ", - said the military expert.

Strengthening artillery

In 2018, when AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin" successfully passed state tests, and videos with his participation were published on the network, they showed interest in him abroad.

Thus, the American military-analytical publication The National Interest wrote that Russia had a new means of destroying heavy artillery.

The material noted that Western radar systems - the American Hughes AN / TSQ-51 and the Swedish-Norwegian ARTHUR - due to their characteristics, have difficulty detecting small projectiles and are subject to anti-radar measures.

In turn, the fact that the Russian system cannot be detected by traditional methods makes it insensitive to artillery counterattacks, the authors of The National Interest state.

  • Artillery reconnaissance complex AZTK 1B75 "Penicillin"

  • © Rostec / YouTube

In an interview with RT, military expert Yuri Knutov noted that systems such as Penicillin are necessary for artillery, since they allow them to quickly detect targets that need to be destroyed during counter-battery firing.

"The Penicillin-type complex calculates the sound and the location of the rupture, and from these data calculates the exact coordinates of the enemy's artillery battery or multiple launch rocket system, as a result of which the Russian artillerymen have the opportunity to deliver an accurate strike," the expert noted.

The fact that this complex operates on a new principle of combining thermal and sound reconnaissance, and its electronic suppression is impossible, is "a significant advantage in the modern theater of military operations," Yuri Knutov emphasized.

“If you use a combination of the two principles of the Penicillin stations and, for example, the Zoo, then in the interval of up to five minutes you can suppress the enemy's artillery, completely destroying it,” Knutov emphasized.

These complexes will be integrated into a new unified tactical control system, which will instantly transmit the enemy's coordinates to artillery systems and instantly deliver strikes, added Yuri Knutov.

“Systems like Penicillin are essential for gunners, they will undoubtedly enhance their capabilities.

Today there are few artillery systems that are capable of crushing the enemy with a 90% probability in 1-2 minutes, ”the military expert concluded.