Briefly Noted: Russia Deploying Its Own Wonder Weapons

Military commentators like to make fun of naive journo types who peddle the propaganda talking points that the next Western systems supplied to Ukraine will include “wonder weapons” that will be “game changers.” These systems always fall far short of their billings. However, the Russians have deployed certain systems that really are game changing, and may be in the process of deploying additional such systems. As is usual for advanced militaries, the Russians are cautious not to overuse such systems, lest the US learn more about them than the Russians would prefer.

Obviously the Zircon and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles fall into the game changing category. Russia has used them sparingly, but the US has no defense against these missiles. These missiles are now being widely deployed—including beyond Russia’s borders, aboard Russian naval vessels and, in the near future, on board Russian submarines. The other evening we referred to the nasty shock NATO is receiving with the recent revelation of Russia’s advanced abilities to blind the ISR capabilities of the West, that have been used as part of Ukraine’s air defenses

We also wrote recently about the counter-battery war going on in Ukraine, in which the Russians have also demonstrated advanced capabilities. Yesterday Moon of Alabama wrote of a new Russian system that takes those capabilities to a new level:

Media Ignorance, Counter-Artillery War, Three Lost Armies

This is a rather lengthy article, but which will repay a close reading for those interested in such matters. The “Three Lost Armies” refers to the first two NATO armed Ukrainian proxy armies that were destroyed by Russia, while the third, relying heavily on actual NATO personnel, is in the process of being destroyed. Here’s a brief excerpt regarding the counter battery war, and the new Russian system:

What nearly all reports from Ukraine seem to miss is the huge damage that Russia artillery is causing on a daily base. Ukraine has little artillery left to respond to that and whatever it still has is getting less by the day.

A few weeks ago the Russian military started a systematic counter artillery campaign which has since made great progress. The typical western way of detecting enemy artillery units is by radar. The flight path of the projectile is measured and the coordinates of its source are calculated enabling ones own artillery to respond. But counter-artillery radar itself depends on radiating. It is thereby easily detectable and vulnerable to fire. Over the last months Russia deployed a very different counter-artillery detection systems with the rather ironic name of Penicillin:

Penicillin or 1B75 Penicillin is an acoustic-thermal artillery-reconnaissance system developed by Ruselectronics for the Russian Armed Forces. The system aims to detect and locate enemy artillery, mortars, MLRs, anti-aircraft or tactical-missile firing positions with seismic and acoustic sensors, without emitting any radio waves. It locates enemy fire within 5 seconds at a range of 25 km (16 mi; 13 nmi). Penicillin completed state trials in December 2018 and entered combat duty in 2020.

The Penicillin is mounted on the 8x8 Kamaz-6350 chassis and consists of a 1B75 sensor suite placed on a telescopic boom for the infrared and visible spectrum as well as of several ground-installed seismic and acoustic receivers as a part of the 1B76 sensor suite. It has an effective range for communication with other military assets up to 40 kilometres (25 mi) and is capable to operate even in a fully automatic mode, without any crew. One system can reportedly cover an entire division against an enemy fire. Besides that, it co-ordinates and corrects a friendly artillery fire.

The Penicillin system can hide in the woods and stick up its telescopic boom to look at and listen to the battlefield. As it does not radiate itself there is no good way for an enemy to detect it.

The system pinpoints Ukrainian guns as they fire. They are then eliminated by immediate precise counter-fire. As the artillery relevant part of today's 'clobber' list provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense claims:

…

The above is the equivalent of two artillery companies (batteries with six guns each) eliminated in just one day. Ukrainian counter-battery fire against Russian artillery is no longer possible as the necessary detection equipment gets eliminated and as Ukrainian counter-fire is shot down by Russian air defenses.

This Russian counter-artillery campaign has been going on for several weeks. It has disabled large parts of what was left of Ukrainian longer range capabilities. Meanwhile the Russian artillery keeps on knocking down Ukranian troops that hold the frontline. Only when all parts of the Ukrainian trenches have been hit by intense fire will the Russian infantry move in to clean up whatever is left behind.

This form of battle is causing huge losses on the Ukrainian side while the Russian forces incur just a minimum of casualties.

This is the current status of the ground war—a ground war that, on the Russia side, is closely integrated with all other systems. It’s a war of attrition in which the Russian side incurs minimal losses and remains well stocked with weapons and munitions that are used efficiently, while NATO blows through vast amounts of its own resources.