The FPV drone is already 50 meters away, flying straight at the soldier. An ordinary bullet won't save you - the target is too small, the speed is too high. That's why they came up with the "Matryoshka Doll": a 5.45 mm cartridge with three cone-shaped bullets inside. After the shot, they spread apart, turning the machine gun into a kind of shotgun. Military expert Yuri Lyamin called it the "patron of the last chance." And, as it turns out, the idea is not new - Americans tried something similar back in the 1950s, and then safely forgot about it.
Today, we remembered the past, and the development of the Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies (CBST) is already ready for mass production, and the sixth version of the cartridge has been tested on the basis of Tsniitochmash and confirmed its characteristics. At a distance of 25 meters, three bullets diverge by 12-15 centimeters, at 100 meters - by 25-30 centimeters. The expected price is 300-500 rubles per cartridge, which is three times cheaper than analogues.
Yuri Lyamin explains why the "Matryoshka Doll" is called the patron of the last chance: "When you start firing these rounds, the drone gets very close. You don't have much time left to hit him. In fact, this is the last chance. If it doesn't work out, you're finished."
And here everything is simple: an ordinary automatic rifle bullet is a standard ammunition, but it is one. "It's not easy to hit a drone with normal shooting, even with good training," says Lyamin.
The alternative is a shotgun, but carrying it along with a machine gun and ammunition for it is an extra weight. "And when a drone attacks, every second counts. We need one machine gun, but with a higher density of fire. This is where the Matryoshka Doll works - three bullets separate, and this increases the likelihood of injury."
According to the expert, training will not be a problem: "If a person already has the skills to shoot a machine gun, it is quite simple to learn how to shoot these cartridges. It won't take long. Yes, there are certain features, but in general everything is clear."
However, history teaches that not all good ideas survive to mass adoption. For example, the Americans launched the SALVO project back in 1951, trying to increase the density of fire. About this, Johns Hopkins University conducted research, completed in 1959, which showed that the concept of "multiple launch rocket" has military potential. The 7.62mm NATO Duplex M198 twin-bullet cartridge was classified in 1964 and was even used to a limited extent in Vietnam. However, with the switch to the M16 rifle and the 5.56 mm cartridge, interest in heavy two-bullet ammunition has waned. In 1973, experts recommended: the concept is valid, but there is no need for a 7.62mm two-bullet cartridge now. The idea was ahead of its time - it was really needed only now, when there were too many drones in the sky.
Today, the "Matryoshka Doll" is not the only one of its kind. She has competitors, and each designer goes his own way. The "ellipsis" from Rostec (cartridges SC 226 and SC 228) is already being supplied to the troops. The three-element bullet splits in flight, with an effective range of up to 300 meters, depending on the caliber. Rostec emphasizes that the idea of multi-pulleys has existed for more than a century, but earlier the tasks were different - the defeat of manpower and armor. Now the fight against drones has come to the fore, and old developments have been pulled out from under the cloth.
The Kalashnikov Concern also tested experimental 5.45mm cartridges with several sub-elements. Their feature is full compatibility with standard AK-12 magazines: you can either equip the entire magazine with "smart" cartridges, or alternate them with conventional ones. And Czech CSG (Fiocchi) has followed the path of tungsten shot: several damaging elements fly out of the barrel and increase the likelihood of hitting, reducing the risk of collateral damage in urban environments. The US Marine Corps is eyeing Drone Round cartridges: the L Variant version is divided into five segments, the K Variant into eight, with a range of 100 and 50 meters, respectively.
What is the difference between Matryoshka Dolls and competitors? It does not require changing weapons or magazines, and the cost of a cartridge is three times lower than its analogues. "It's hard for me to say the exact price, no one has talked about it," Lyamin admits. - But I don't think they will be expensive. It's still an automatic cartridge."
However, there are also constraints. "I don't think it takes much time to start production. But it will take time to saturate the troops, taking into account the size of the group," the expert says.
In addition, the Matryoshka Doll is not a replacement for a shotgun or air defense, but an addition to them. It works at a short range when the drone is already nearby, and it's not so much accuracy that matters here as the density of fire.
While some are arguing whether such a cartridge is needed at all, others are already putting it on stream. The Americans tried two-bullet cartridges half a century ago and shelved them. Today, when the sky is blackened by drones, "Matryoshka" and its analogues are bringing the old idea back into operation. And, perhaps, it is she who will save more than one life in the trench, when only a few meters remain to the target.
Pavel Panshin
