One of the promising areas of weapons development today is the creation of unmanned military equipment. The leading Russian company developing robotics kits is the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute "Signal" (part of the holding "High-Precision Complexes"). On the eve of the Army-2022 forum, Signal CEO Vladimir Pimenov told RIA Novosti correspondent Ivan Suraev in an interview about the company's novelties at the exhibition, promising projects and what robots are participating in a special military operation in Ukraine today.
– Vladimir Anatolyevich, at the Army-2021 forum, the attention of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was attracted by the "Signal" artillery fire control complex "Tablet-M-IR", has this project been developed?
– This complex is a continuation of the "Tablet-A", which was created by us on an initiative basis and was initially portable. In fact, "Tablet-A" is a set of several wearable cases that house automation tools, tablet computers, radio stations, headsets. The cases themselves are also batteries, which prolongs the service life on the battlefield. Now this system is being mass-supplied to the troops, and we have started work on the next generation of artillery control systems.
The new development was called "Tablet-M-IR", unlike the prototype, the complex will be placed on an armored wheeled chassis. He will be able to receive information from drones in real time, the commander will be able to directly see the results of his work and adjust the fire. At the same time, the new tablet has the ability to interact with absolutely all UAVs that are currently in service with the Russian army.
The second point is a closed satellite communication, which also allows the commander to be in contact with the higher command of any level in real time – to receive target designation and report on its execution.
Thanks to the placement on the car, the mobility of the complex increases and the deployment time of artillery units is reduced, you can start working "from the wheels".
It is important to note that the commander can give target indications not only while inside the car, but also after leaving it, for example, in a shelter. To do this, it is enough for him to take a portable tablet, a computer, a walkie-talkie and continue working. We took the initiative to come up with this project, the military department supported us, approved tactical and technical requirements, now work is underway on a decision signed by Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko.
– At what stage is this work?
– We will definitely show the "Tablet-M-IR" at the "Army-2022". Currently, work is underway to work out technical solutions and develop documentation, we plan to conduct preliminary tests before the end of the year.
– What fundamentally new opportunities can this complex give to the Russian artillery?
– The fact is that today not all of our artillery units are provided with control automation tools, the complexes themselves – that is, that the Tablet-M-IR will increase the speed of combat work, and at times. According to an unprepared position, our system calculates the installations and gives the command to open fire in less than a minute.
– What new initiative projects in the field of robotics does Signal plan to engage in in 2022? At what stage are the works on the robotic complex "Udar"?
– "Udar" is a research work, within the framework of which a working demonstration sample was created. The work is completed. The competencies obtained during it, approaches to the creation of robots were applied in subsequent projects, including in the Palladin complex.
It was assumed that this robot would be equipped with standard BMP-3 armament or other combat modules, which, according to their mass-dimensional parameters, can be installed on this chassis. In total, within the framework of the Udar research project, we tested the pairing of an unmanned vehicle with six different combat squads, including live firing.
All these works have been completed today – the main thing is that according to their results we have received a "pool of technologies" that we use to one degree or another in our new projects. Our main direction today is the creation of control systems for robotic complexes that can be installed on various serial and promising models of tracked and wheeled combat vehicles. The work is carried out in close cooperation with the enterprises of Rostec State Corporation. At the moment we are developing a standard BMP-3 robotics kit. In addition, we are working on the robotization of a promising multiple rocket launcher system. This work will make it possible to exclude the presence of the crew of a combat vehicle in a dangerous zone, while we will retain the ability to control the MLRS by a person from the cockpit of a combat vehicle.
You need to understand that in the non-emergency version, the car is not always needed. For example, if she makes a march to the place of combat work, then what is the point of driving her remotely? Remote operator control, though a little, but reduces the characteristics of the movement of vehicles. Now we are working on the possibility of remote mode, which is necessary primarily in a direct collision of equipment with the enemy.
– What is the development of the mine clearance complex "Passage"?
– This project was carried out by order of the Ministry of Defense. The remote-controlled robotic complex has successfully passed state tests. Now it is being used in the zone of a special military operation to mine the liberated territories of Donbass.
– How does this robot differ from the "Uran-6" sapper robots already entering the troops?
– One big difference is its purpose. There are two types of sapper vehicles: for humanitarian clearance of "civilian" roads or narrow roads for the passage of passenger vehicles, people, and so on, the second type is clearance for the passage of columns of military equipment, including tanks.
If the "Uran-6" is designed more for humanitarian demining, then the "Passage" is designed for clearing roads along which tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy military equipment are immediately following the robot. The width of its mine clearance lane corresponds to the width of the tank's passage, and it is also able to simulate the modes of operation of heavy equipment, which triggers "smart" anti-tank mines. Our robot also has special devices for destroying mines with an electronic detonator.
It is noteworthy that the "Passage" is the only Russian sapper robot today that is able to withstand several explosions with a powerful anti–tank mine and continue performing tasks.
– Is the Signal Research Institute engaged in the development of robotics for the civil sphere?
– We had a good work with GAZ, in which we practiced remote control technologies for the Ural Next two-axle truck. Among other things, we have created a driver assistance system. It is noteworthy that the workplace for remote control of this truck was no different from the cab of an ordinary driver, that is, a person who drives a "truck" did not need any additional retraining to become a "drone operator". We have confirmed this in practice. In addition, we have robotized a forest fire engine developed by Kurganmashzavod of the Rostec High-Precision Complexes holding. This is a large tracked chassis, with a large supply of water and a dump for extinguishing and clearing the area covered by fire. We conducted its dynamic display on the "Army", extinguished all the objects assigned to us. We have no doubt about the prospects of this project, the promotion of such a complex, advanced technology is always a "long game", especially since the price of this car is very modest by market standards.
– What promising navigation and control systems are your specialists working on today?
– Today, in addition to serial deliveries of previously developed navigation systems, we are conducting several OCDS at once. The field of development is wide and covers the various needs of our potential customers and current partners.
At the moment we are developing high-precision navigation systems with highly developed cartographic and route subsystems for promising ground objects. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the capabilities of the old navigation systems do not fully meet the requirements of the armed forces. They need intuitive hints, an improved interface, advanced search capabilities, as it is already implemented in civilian systems.
At the same time, it is characterized by a number of features – the navigation system, when laying a route, must understand what kind of equipment it is, where it will be able to pass. So, for a tank, small birches and slightly swampy terrain are not a problem, but for wheeled vehicles it can be difficult.
Plus, the route should be laid in real time. This is due to the fact that the battlefield is undergoing changes: a bridge was blown up somewhere, a territory was mined somewhere. All this requires timely route adjustments. We are actively working on this.
Currently, we are creating a small-sized monoblock navigation system that is suitable for almost any linear armored vehicle object. The advantage will be a low cost with sufficiently high technical characteristics. It will become a worthy replacement for the TNA-4 used today.
Also, on the instructions of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, this year we plan to complete the development of a gyrocompass, which has no domestic analogues today.
– How is the "Signal" doing with import substitution? Do I still have to buy any equipment that is critical for the operation of the enterprise from abroad?
– In this regard, everything is stable. Eight years ago, the number of foreign components on the "Signal" was a maximum of 5%. After certain measures, this figure has decreased and today it is well below one percent.
– All developments are the result of the work of highly professional specialists. How do you build a personnel policy at the enterprise?
– Now at the state level, much attention is paid to increasing the prestige of engineering professions. As President Vladimir Putin recently stated, Russia should create and develop its own engineering schools. Along with other enterprises of the Rostec State Corporation, we have been working in this direction for a long time. In the region, at the initiative of the Signal Research Institute, a model of continuous engineering education is being implemented according to the scheme "additional education – school – university – enterprise". Within the framework of the project, a laboratory of robotics and control systems named after the famous director of the Research Institute Yuri Mikhailovich Sazykin was created, where now, on the basis of the Center for Additional Education, children of grades 5-6 are trained in 3 technical programs: lego construction, work on the Arduino platform, 3D modeling. This year we plan to expand the laboratory and launch programs for grades 7-9. The students will be able to study "Prototyping" and "Virtual and Additional Reality".
In the near future, on the basis of a secondary school for high school students, training in engineering, programming, multimedia communication will begin, and university students will master professional disciplines in mechatronics and robotics. This is how we train engineering personnel for our company from an early age.
The Signal Research Institute has already allocated several million rubles for the development of engineering education. Currently, a mechanism for co-financing of these activities in the region is being worked out with the regional administration.
We have always paid special attention to work with young people. Now in "Signal" all conditions for their development, career growth and maximum realization of professional competencies have been created for young professionals. We have a serious scientific foundation, a modern testing base, and a developed mentoring system. The company holds a competition "The best young Engineer", which allows us to assess the potential of the younger generation and form the engineering elite of the Research Institute.
We pay special attention to the training of personnel of the highest qualification category. Supporting the state's policy of stimulating employees of the military-industrial complex to develop science, we have introduced our own support measures. A prize of 500 thousand rubles is provided for the defense of a candidate's dissertation, and an employee will receive 1 million rubles for a doctoral thesis. Now we have more than 600 developers working at our enterprise, two of them are doctors of technical sciences, 24 employees have a candidate's degree and 10 people are preparing to defend their dissertation in the near future. Therefore, I am sure that the scientific potential of our institute will only grow every year!
