Illustrative image. (Russian Ministry of Defense)
The latest acoustic reconnaissance system Zavarukha, designed to detect firing positions, has been deployed by the Russian Armed Forces to the special military operation zone in Ukraine, a spokesman for the NPO Alfa Research and Production Association told TASS on July 10.
“The latest counter-battery system Zavarukha is the most compact sound reconnaissance system for detecting enemy firing positions. Its microphone array measures no more than 1 meter. The Zavarukha has already undergone combat testing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, as well as in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Zaporozhye Regions,” the company said.
The system has demonstrated a high level of detection accuracy, according to the company, with an error margin of no more than 400 meters at ranges beyond 20 kilometers — precise enough for reconnaissance drones to pinpoint the exact location of a firing position. At a range of 12 kilometers, the error margin narrows to no more than 150 meters.
The company also revealed that the maximum confirmed detection and direction-finding range can be up to 27 kilometers.
“Thanks to its small size and absolute passivity–the system emits no radiation–Zavarukha features greater stealth. During combat use, the system has detected Ukrainian troops’ firing positions, including various self-propelled artillery pieces such as the Polish-made Caesar and Krab,” NPO Alfa said, noting that the system’s battery could last for up to five days.
The company also compared the new system to similar acoustic reconnaissance systems currently in service with the Russian Armed Forces.
“The Russian army has only two similar systems in service: the Penicillin and the AZK-7M, which are artillery reconnaissance systems mounted on truck chassis, such as the KAMAZ or Ural. Therefore, the use of such systems near the line of contact is virtually impossible as they become a priority target for the enemy and are quickly neutralized. These systems require 20 support personnel and operate for a maximum of 24 hours. The Zavarukha is also 60 times less costly than these systems. In addition, it has superior performance characteristics—for example, our system detects mortars more effectively and accurately,” the company noted.
The system is basically made from wide-range microphones, which NPO Alfa said are arranged in a special way to maximize detection.
“You could say we’ve somewhat overcome physics by making the microphone array just one meter in size, while according to all laws and theoretical data, the minimum microphone base size should be around 100-300 meters,” the company added.
Acoustic reconnaissance systems such as Zavarukha, Penicillin, and the AZK-7M have proven especially valuable during the special military operation, as they are effectively undetectable by signal and electronic intelligence means. The Zavarukha holds a further advantage: its exceptionally compact size makes it difficult to spot even with visual surveillance from the air or on the ground.
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