Russia develops artillery shells that automatically calculate their detonation time.

This type of ammunition is equipped with artificial intelligence, capable of automatically calculating the optimal detonation time to destroy the target most effectively.The producer NPO Pribor stated:.

The A-220M 57mm naval gun served as the development platform for this smart ammunition. Photo: Sputnik

Russian technology giant Rostec has unveiled a smart artillery shell developed by its NPO Pribor design bureau, the company announced on October 17.

Outwardly, the projectile looks exactly like a conventional shell; the difference lies in its small fuse equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). According to Sergey Rusakov, a representative of Rostec, the AI ​​fuse will program the detonation time of the projectile before it leaves the gun barrel. The detonation time is automatically calculated by the control computer based on parameters such as distance to the target, wind direction, and air humidity.

Upon approaching the target, this type of fragmentation projectile will detonate, releasing thousands of tiny pellets in a cloud capable of destroying enemy equipment, especially small devices such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

AI-powered ammunition will be tested on the AU-220M smart artillery system. Photo: Sputnik

Oleg Chizhevsky, chief engineer of NPO Pribor, said the munitions' design process is complete and they are about to undergo field testing. Chizhevsky also expressed confidence in the project's potential, suggesting that NPO Pribor's smart munitions will be deployed to the Russian army in the near future.

The Kurganets-25 vehicle will be equipped with AI-powered artillery rounds in the near future. Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin

In the first phase, this type of ammunition will be tested on the AU-220M Baikal 57 mm automatic cannon module. This is the main weapon of Russia's most modern armored vehicles such as the Boomerang, Armata T-15, and Kurganets-25. Subsequently, NPO Pribor will develop a 30 mm smart ammunition line for older vehicles such as the BTR-82, BMP-2, and BMP-3.

According to VNE