Russian gunners of the 201st military base destroyed the masked targets of a mock enemy in the mountains of Tajikistan using the 1L227 Sobolyatnik ground reconnaissance radar system.

The 1L227 Sobolyatnik radar displayed at MAKS 2013 in Russia (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)

At the Sambuli mountain range, the military conducted a reconnaissance of the area, using portable radars to detect large and small targets at a distance of up to 20 kilometers. Having determined the firing positions of the mock enemy's mortar crews by the shot, the scouts passed the coordinates to the artillery command post.

Gvozdika and Acacia self-propelled howitzers were used to destroy targets in the folds of the terrain. The gunners completed the tasks of striking single and group shots on fixed targets. In total, more than 100 targets located in the mountains were hit during combat shooting. The radar operators worked out tasks for simultaneous tracking of more than 10 targets of the mock enemy, including low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles. The operator's work was carried out from masked positions.

About 500 soldiers of artillery and recon units participated in the exercise, and more than 100 units of weapons and military equipment were involved. The 201st Russian military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia's largest military formation outside its borders. It is located in two cities -- Dushanbe and Bokhtar. According to the Agreement dated October 2012, the base shall station in Tajikistan until 2042.

Sobolyatnik (Sable hunter) is a multifunctional detection unit. The radar reconnaissance station is capable of detecting small-size objects at a distance of dozens of kilometers. "The equipment of reconnaissance units with the latest technical reconnaissance means makes it possible to raise training standards for reconnaissance men who will conduct artillery reconnaissance. Despite its ultra-small weight and size, the Sobolyatnik radar reconnaissance station can be used for detecting and simultaneous automatic tracking of up to 20 targets for the purpose of artillery spotting of shell paths and shell bursts," Major Maxim Gostyayev, the head of a motorized rifled reconnaissance formation of the Western Military District, said.

2S3M Acacia self-propelled howitzer (Picture source: Army Recognition)

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