Ukraine destroyed a record number of Russian artillery systems in a day: Britain has slightly more, – Forbes

The publication explained how Ukraine manages this with the development of technology.

Ukraine is using increasingly effective systems to detect and destroy Russian artillery , taking this fight to a new level. On March 28, the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the elimination of 122 artillery pieces in a day – an absolute record, writes Forbes .

In total, some 1,644 artillery pieces were destroyed during March, roughly three times the pace of 18 months earlier. For comparison, the US reportedly has only about 3,000 artillery pieces in service, while the UK has just 200.

The media writes that although this data is difficult to confirm, despite the available videos, satellite images show that Russia is actively emptying its warehouses of Soviet weapons to make up for losses.

In addition, Russia has begun purchasing North Korean guns of a rare caliber (170 mm), which may indicate a lack of its own systems.

Artillery is now playing a much smaller role on the battlefield. Russia is switching to glide bombs for tactical strikes on the front line. The main factor seems to be the destruction of artillery pieces at the front.

Is Russian artillery in danger of extinction?

Before this war, the main way to detect enemy artillery was with counter-battery radars. These are large systems with powerful antennas that record the trajectory of shells and calculate the launch point.

An example is the Russian Zoo system, which can detect: 155 mm howitzers at a distance of over 22 km, HIMARS – over 32 km, ATACMS – over 64 km.

But such radars have two serious drawbacks: they are expensive and in short supply, and they emit a signal that is easy to detect and destroy. As the Ukrainian Armed Forces are doing, destroying the $24 million “Zooparks.”

In addition, while earlier “artillery duels” were fought between large guns, now the main enemy of artillery is UAVs. After all, shells and fragments do not cause serious damage to the gun, but FPV drones with cumulative warheads pierce the gun barrel, disabling it.

How drones are changing the rules of the game

According to the British think tank CHACR, drones have completely changed tactics. Russia no longer relies on radar, but instead uses UAVs to detect artillery. They track gunfire flashes or heat signatures of guns.

But now both sides are turning to a technology first used in World War I – acoustic location.

Microphones placed at a great distance recorded the sounds of gunfire, which made it possible to determine the location of the guns with an accuracy of up to 10 meters. Radar later replaced acoustics, but now the tactic is making a comeback thanks to modern microphones, powerful processors and artificial intelligence.

This method is much cheaper and invisible to the enemy.

For example, back in February, Ukraine introduced a new acoustic reconnaissance system, Vidar. It has already been deployed on the front lines and launched into mass production. The kit, weighing several kilograms, includes 5 microphones, a central computer, and its detection accuracy is 24 km.

Vidar integrates with the Ukrainian Delta control system, transmitting data to commanders in real time.

The principle of its operation:

As soon as a Russian gun fires, the system instantly determines its location.
The target is immediately attacked by FPV drones or artillery.
Result: Russian artillery is unmasked and destroyed almost immediately after opening fire.