Image source: topwar.ru
At the exhibition in Krakow, the Polish company Pit-Radwar presented a new SA-35MM self-propelled artillery system equipped with programmable ammunition and designed to enhance air defense capabilities at ultra-short range, in particular, to defeat maneuvering targets – drones, aircraft and cruise missiles.
The SA-35MM is armed with a 35mm AM automatic cannon, which fires at a rate of 550 rounds per minute and is equipped with a dual projectile feed system from two magazines for 100 rounds each. Switching between two types of ammunition (programmable or conventional FAPDS-T – fragmented tracer projectiles with a subcalibre core) occurs instantly. The gun is reduced in size and weight due to the use of carbon fiber technology. The product is installed on the Jelcz 6x6 cargo platform.
The anti-aircraft complex is equipped with the ZGS-35 optoelectronic target tracking system (equipped with IR and optical cameras, a laser rangefinder and tracking equipment). Targets are detected by the angle of the place from -10° to 85° and by the azimuth at 360° at an altitude of 200 to 30 thousand meters.
The SLA, which is part of the complex, includes a TUGA radar with AFAR operating in the X-band. At the same time, low-power radar is used, which makes it difficult for enemy reconnaissance means to detect the complex. The TUGA radar is capable of detecting targets at a range of 50 m to 50 km and is able to detect small drones at a distance of up to 5 km.
Image source: topwar.ru
During the exhibition, the developer demonstrated the capabilities of the complex. One of the targets of the SA-35MM was a small UAV with an angular size of 0.5 x 2.0 milliradians, located at a distance of 1000 m. During its defeat by the AG-35 cannon, the spread was no more than 0.5 milliradians, which corresponds to the dimensions of the drone and indicates the accuracy of the system.
The results of field tests showed that in order to achieve a 99 percent probability of hitting a target with at least one projectile, 24 rounds of conventional TP-T/FAPDS-T ammunition were required. At the same time, when using ABM ammunition with programmable detonation, the probability of destroying a target with one of the seven projectiles reaches 97%, while each of them releases more than 50 submunitions.
The developer, implementing the project since December 2022, plans to produce 9 SA-35MM prototypes by June 20, 2025.
