Poland introduced a new air defense system SA-35MM: uses programmable munitions to effectively destroy UAVs

At the first International Arms Congress, which took place from October 21 to 25, 2024 2018 in Krakow, Poland, the defense company Pit-Radwar presented a new 35-mm self-propelled artillery installation equipped with programmable ammunition. Designed to be integrated into the air defense architecture of the Polish Armed Forces, this system aims to enhance the Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) capabilities against modern air threats, including drones, aircraft and cruise missiles.

A newly introduced system called the SA-35MM combines the AM-35mm automatic cannon with a programmable munitions system. It is equipped with:

• independent optical-electronic target tracking system ZGS-35;
• hybrid fire control system with TUGA radar;
• optical-electronic sensors .

Installed on the third-generation Jelcz 6×6 platform, the system is designed to engage a wide range of air targets that perform maneuvers by course, speed and height in the fire zone, providing effective short-term air defense of stationary strategic assets, troop concentrations and mobile units.< /p>

The SA-35MM is particularly effective against low-cost, small and very small targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (including kamikaze drones). The system is compatible with Polish air defense systems and is capable of autonomously engaging targets, offering a high level of automation and remote control capabilities. Its design allows for rapid mission readiness and deployment without manual alignment.

The AM-35mm automatic cannon has a rate of fire of 550 rounds per minute and is equipped with a two-way chain ammunition feed system with a magazine capacity of 2 x 100 rounds. It can instantly switch between two types of ammunition, usually sub-caliber FAPDS-T (Frangible Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot with Tracer) and programmable Air Burst Munition (ABM). The cannon is reduced in size and weight through the use of carbon fiber technology, and it can operate autonomously using its own remote control console or be integrated with the combat control system. The ZGS-35 optical-electronic tracking system includes an infrared thermal imaging camera, a daylight camera, a high-repetition laser rangefinder, a video tracker, and a close-range interrogator. These components provide accurate dynamic tracking of objects, allowing the system to conduct combat operations in various weather conditions, both day and night. The tracking head has an operating elevation range of -10° to 85° and can perform continuous rotation of 360° in azimuth. It provides range reading limits from a minimum of 200 meters to a maximum of 30,000 meters with a range frequency of 30 Hz.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

The TUGA radar, part of a hybrid fire control system, operates on the basis of continuous frequency modulation (FMCW) with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna in the X-band. This radar technology uses a low power of the transmitted signal, which makes it difficult to be detected by enemy reconnaissance devices and increases operational security. Despite its low power and compact size, the TUGA radar has a detection range of 50 meters to 50 kilometers and can detect small drones at a distance of up to 5 kilometers.

During the congress, the Pit-Radwar company held demonstrations of the system's capabilities. One test involved targeting a small unmanned aerial vehicle at a distance of 1,000 meters with an angular size of 0.5×2.0 milliradians. The AG-35 gun achieved a dispersion of no more than 0.5 milliradians, which almost matches the dimensions of the drone, demonstrating the accuracy of the system.

Field test results have shown that 24 rounds of typical TP-T/FAPDS-T ammunition are required to achieve a 99% probability of hitting a target with at least one round. And when using programmable anti-missile munitions, when firing only seven projectiles, a hit probability of 97% is achieved, while each projectile releases more than 50 subprojectiles. This means a significant reduction in ammunition consumption while maintaining a high probability of hitting the target.

Pete-Radvar proposed to integrate a 35-mm gun into self-propelled artillery systems mounted on the AS-35 wheeled chassis. Two configurations of very short-range air defense batteries (VSHORAD) were proposed. The first, artillery battery, will consist of:

• four SA-35 self-propelled guns;
• WG-35 fire control machines;
• a command vehicle and a pre-detection radar, such as the Soła or Bystra systems.

The second, missile-artillery battery, in addition to the artillery components, will include self-propelled Poprad missile complexes, improved with anti-drone and radar technologies K-band.

The SA-35MM complex works autonomously, equipped with its own fire control system based on the ZGS-35 optical-electronic guidance and guidance head. The integrated opto-electronic tracking head ensures the accuracy of dynamic tracking of objects with the help of its sensors, which include thermal imagers and daylight cameras, a laser range finder and a video tracker. The system also has a communications and data transmission subsystem that provides radio and cable communication with the battery command and control system and the WG-35 fire control machine, allowing remote control from a handheld terminal.

The gun drive subsystems and optical-electronic tracking head are designed with advanced drive units and special electronic controllers, which ensures high dynamics and precision of movement. An inertial navigation subsystem, including GPS, provides accurate positioning and continuous measurement of azimuth, pitch, and roll angles. The system also includes a non-kinetic UAV neutralization system and emphasizes cost-effectiveness by reducing logistics and personnel requirements, which lowers life-cycle costs.