Russian defense firm MF Stelmak unveiled its Sosna-N robotic sniper detector at the Army-2021 International Military-Technical Forum last month.
The laser-optical system, capable of automatic and remote-controlled operation, is designed to scan an area for optical devices such as “sniper rifle scopes, binoculars, or anti-tank missile targeting systems,” Army Recognition wrote.
Detects and Impairs
The device generates an acoustic signal upon detecting such a device and releases a special laser beam to impair it, chief designer of the system, Mikhail Ruzin, told Zvezda.
Ruzin detailed how the laser beam illuminates the sniper rifle’s optical sights to disable it: “An optical locator, which is mainly used for security services, for the protection of especially important objects, it detects optical means that conduct counter-surveillance of a protected object or aiming … It detects a target, aims there accurately and turns on a low-power laser in order to create a hindrance and make aiming impossible.”
Features
The 4.6 kg (10.14 pound) device can detect a sniper within a range of 3 kilometers (1.86 miles), while its laser countermeasure has an effective range of up to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles). The device comes with a portable control pad weighing around 1.1 kg (2.42 pounds).
According to Ruzin, the dual-use device “probably surpasses everything that is done in the West” in terms of efficiency. Army Recognition quoted him as saying that the system can be installed in the “VIP-box of a sports stadium or around the perimeter of the protected building. When one tries to film, observe through binoculars or aim through sniper optics, Sosna-N will create visual interference for the target and instantly give out their exact location.”
