The experience of the Second World War shows how effective this type of explosive weapon can be. And the blogger notes that Russia’s bureaucratic procurement system prevents them from acquiring anything like that, Forbes writes.
Ukrainians have a talent for creating new explosives for old weapons. The most famous example is the Jonik detonator, which was installed in the PTM-3 anti-tank mines of the Soviet era. The original detonator is a simple pressure switch that only goes off when the tank tracks run over it. The Jonik blaster is supplemented with a magnetometer and an accelerometer. The magnetometer activates the mine when a large metal object is nearby – so the mine is triggered when the tank tracks even “straddle” the mine from both sides without making contact. The presence of an accelerometer means that any attempt to move the mine activates it.
Analyst Roy on Social Network X recorded several other new explosivesrelated to drone mines – with detonation delay and magnetic or other sensors. Drones place such mines on roads far behind enemy lines.
The laser blaster is another step forward. And although it could be used in anti-tank mines, it is a type that is associated with direct hits on targets both in the air and on the ground, a variant of the classic close-in explosive.
The most secret weapon
As noted In US Naval Sea Systems Command Paperthe proximity detonation device, along with radar and the atomic bomb, is one of the outstanding secret weapons of World War II. It was so secret that it could not be called a direct name, but was called VT or “Variable Time”. variable time) explosive – to give a false impression of its operation.
An explosive that can sense a target and detonate nearby is more effective than one that only detonates on contact. Air targets that are moving are difficult to hit, so a projectile that explodes as soon as it is at the right distance is a huge improvement. Against ground targets, a projectile that explodes when it hits the ground wastes most of its explosive power in creating a crater, and most of the shrapnel goes to waste. The explosions in the air, showering shrapnel on everything below and around, are far more deadly.
The original solution to this problem was the delay time detonator, which detonated a few seconds after being fired. This worked when the shooters had time to time the explosion. In the event of anti-aircraft fire, a narrow zone was created where the time-delay detonators were fired, and accurate judgment was required during firing to lock onto the target in that window.
This problem was solved by a proximity detonator, which emits a radio pulse and captures the return signal. It was a miniature radar rangefinder that could be set to explode at a certain distance from the target. It is believed that he was there before the aircraft at least four times more efficientand in the Pacific theater he saved thousands of lives by shooting down Japanese kamikazes.
Later, when close-range explosives were used against ground targets, their effect was devastating. They were especially effective in the Ardennes operation. General Dwight D. Eisenhower (later President of the United States) was so impressed that he worried what would have happened if the enemy had been the first to develop close-range munitions: “Had the Germans succeeded in perfecting and using this new weapon six months earlier, our invasion of Europe would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible.”
Radar detonators are still widely used, but they are expensive and difficult to manufacture. The US Army’s M734A1 Multi-Option Fuze for Mortars, designed for 60 mm mortar bombs, costs $213, according to the Army Ammunition Budget. Ukraine’s drone manufacturers need something simpler – something they can make themselves.
Laser weapon
A laser meter can now be purchased on Amazon for less than $20 — and Ukrainian engineers appear to have adapted the same technology.
ATmega328 microcontroller, voltage amplifier, MOSFETs are all standard equipment, says UAV Developer. – What is worth paying attention to – [ukrainiečiai] is absolutely right on the path of munitions electrification.”
He notes that the detonator also has a backup contact detonator in case the laser system fails. oh indicates in yet another messagethat Russia doesn’t have anything like a laser proximity detonator or a Yonik – because the people running the procurement process are, as he says, idiots.
UAV Developer says it knows of at least four cases where people have submitted similar products to the Russian Defense Ministry, only to have them rejected — because the bureaucrats didn’t like complex electronic systems, no matter how reliable they were. The result is that the Ukrainians have a proximity detonator and “100-500 types of detonators,” while the Russians have “a stick with a switch and happy idiots.”
While the new Ukrainian device may not meet the Pentagon’s standards for reliability, robustness and security, it provides valuable new capabilities. These explosives will make drone bombs and drone strikes much more deadly, Forbes writes.
2024-09-06 14:44:28