«Strelets» the reconnaissance, control and communication complex – the new old school weapon

[NickSmith]

The nature of the armed struggle, as well as the conduct of modern wars with the advent of new technologies and the creation of a new type of weapon has recently changed significantly. According to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu, «with the arrival of high-tech weapons and military equipment, the forms of use and methods of operations of the troops should be improved, and we in this matter are developing».

 

Russian weapons, tested in difficult military conditions, have repeatedly proved their exclusivity. The achievements of Russian military thought can be summed up by regularly held scientific and practical conferences. At the next conference with the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, held on June 18, 2019, special attention was paid to the prospective command and reconnaissance strike system «Strelets», which allows hitting targets in real time within 8-12 minutes after their detection.

 

This complex was developed in the 2000s by the Russian «Radioavionika» company. In 2007 the «Strelets» was successfully tested and went into mass production. Today, the reconnaissance, control and communication complex «Strelets» is an addition to the «Ratnik» military combat gear. Outwardly it is a kind of computer with the ability to connect with almost any device. The complex includes a personal computer, a satellite communications radio station, an ultra-short wave radio station, a rangefinder-goniometer, a portable short-range reconnaissance radar station, a system of individual and group navigation GLONASS and GPS, a friend-to-others identification system. The distance of interaction between members of one unit is 1.5 km, but due to the fact that each unit equipped with this complex acts as a repeater, its range increases significantly. The scope of the complex is quite extensive. The «Strelets» can be used not only in military intelligence, but also in medical units to search for the wounded.

 

Over time, it was significantly upgraded. So, the new complexes are much lighter than their predecessors, because now their weight is 2.4 kg against the previous 5.4 kg. Moreover, now the mounting of large blocks does not hinder the performance of combat missions and provides free access to the first-aid kit and other equipment. Thus, a new modification of the base model has appeared – the new «Strelets-M».

 

Today, the «Strelets» is performed in several versions, depending on the specialization of the fighter. There are basic and advanced kits, including navigation, communication and targeting. They should be used by arrows, as well as branch commanders. It also assumes two variants of the complex with different radio stations for use by radio operators. Particular attention is paid to the commander’s kit with a full set of tools, as well as a range finder with a PDU-4 rangefinder. The latter can be used to determine the coordinates of the target and has the functions of photo and video.

 

The effectiveness of this complex was proven directly in the course of various exercises. At the end of the last decade, the «Strelets» was tested as a target designation tool for aviation and artillery. In particular, in practice, they confirmed the possibility of effective interaction with existing front-line bombers and artillery systems. Moreover, this complex was successfully tested on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The «Strelets» was used for retargeting aviation in real time, which was not previously practiced.