On par with the nuclear bomb: Ukraine modernizes secret weapons of World War II – media

According to Russian blogger UAV Developer, we are talking about fuses for unmanned bombs with laser sensors and non-contact triggering. At the same time, due to the current purchasing system, Russia has no chance of creating something similar in the near future.

Ukraine has managed to update a secret weapon used during World War II. Now it has become even more deadly. This is stated in a Forbes article.

The authors of the material refer to the Russian blogger UAV Developer, who shared the message that the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to use unmanned bomb fuses with laser sensors to measure the distance to the target. This weapon can shoot at any distance from the target.

“Anyone who has had laser roulette done knows what I’m talking about,” wrote one Russian blogger.

Updated weapons of Ukrainians: what is known about them

The UAV Developer described Ukraine’s “secret weapon” as a simple device without much technological magic, but if you look at the experience of World War II, you’ll see that it can be quite effective. At the same time, the Russian procurement system doesn’t allow the enemy to get something similar.

The Ukrainian side showed talent, continuing the authors of the material and the creators of new fuses for old weapons. One of the most striking examples is the Johnny or Jonik, mounted on Soviet PTM-3 anti-tank mines.

The original fuse only went off when a tank or other armored vehicle drove over it, but Johnny has a special magnetometer and accelerometer that can activate the mine at any time there is a large metal object nearby. So there’s no need to make contact. The accelerometer means that any attempt to move the mine from its location will trigger it.

Analyst Roy also wrote about several new fuses associated with the Ukrainians on his page on the X social network. Drones have the ability to deploy such weapons on roads located far from the front line.

“For several months now, Ukraine has been systematically mining Russian logistics routes with various anti-vehicle mines to a depth of 15 km. They do this at night, using heavy drones that should be very effective in destroying light vehicles until they are cleared, probably the next day,” analyst Roy wrote.

Forbes writes that such a laser fuse is a step forward in terms of complexity. Although it can be used for off-track mines, this type is associated with direct attacks on both airborne and ground targets, as a variant of the classic proximity fuse.

WWII Secret Weapons Feature

The proximity fuse is associated with radar and the atomic bomb, which changed the course of World War II. Initially, the fuse was called a VT or “variable time fuse” because it could not be called by its own name, giving a false impression of its operation.

“A projectile that detects and detonates near the target is more effective than one that detonates only on impact. Moving air targets are difficult to hit, so a projectile that detonates when within lethal range is a major improvement. Against ground targets, a projectile that detonates on impact with the ground expends most of its explosive force digging a crater and most of the fragments are wasted; aerial explosions that rain fragments down on the ground are far more lethal,” the report continues.

Moreover, if the Germans had managed to develop such weapons earlier during the Second World War and had started using fuses six months before the other side of the conflict, this could have led to extraordinary consequences and perhaps the course of the confrontation would have changed.

Cheap and reliable laser weapons in warfare

The laser device can be purchased for less than $20, making it cheap and reliable. The Russian blogger wrote that this is the technology that the Ukrainian side could use.

“ATmega328 microcontroller, voltage amplifier, MOS transistors are all standard. The thing to note is that (Ukrainians) are definitely following the path of electrification of ammunition,” wrote UAV Developer.

There is nothing like a laser fuse on the Russian side, and apparently there won’t be any in the near future. Blogger UAV Developer believes that the people managing the procurement process are idiots. He knows of at least four cases where people brought similar products to the Ministry of Defense, but all of them were rejected due to “complex electronic systems.”

“Although the new Ukrainian device does not meet Pentagon standards for reliability, durability and security, it provides valuable new capabilities. These fuses will make anti-personnel attacks by drones and UAVs significantly more lethal. They will also likely be used on aircraft. The authors of the material noted that “new drones” will significantly increase the chances of defeat of interceptors, and Ukrainian engineers will work on the next project to use cheap, powerful and easily accessible electronics.

Let’s recall that on September 3, the West was surprised by the Ukrainian flamethrower capable of hitting various Russian targets. As noted in the Forbes article, experts called the flamethrower drone a new thermite weapon and questioned its legality. They also believe that it could have a significant impact on Russian morale.

Source: Focus

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