Ukraine will soon receive reinforcements for its artillery. The US Department of Defense FMS Fund will purchase and deliver 18 IFATDS kits to the Armed Forces. This is the export version of the newest US Army Artillery Control System - AFATDS.
What is the International Field Artillery Tactical Data System (IFATDS) and what advantages it will give the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation over the Russian Army, read in the article.
What is IFATDS?
IFATDS is the international version of the Automated Field Artillery Control System, which is actually a modified version of the AFATDS ACS used by the US Armed Forces. Nevertheless, IFATDS has its own peculiarities related to the impossibility of transferring some technologies, as it is intended for delivery to foreign customers. However, the system differences are insignificant.
The first version of AFATDS appeared in 1995 and has undergone many changes over the past time. At the moment, the evolution of the American ACS has reached the seventh version. Initially, the system was created for the benefit of the US Army, but then the Marine Corps became interested in the project. At the moment, the system is used in the US Army.
AFATDS/IFATDS ACS is built on the basis of several components. First of all, these are terminals of several types, designed for self-propelled installations and towed guns. In fact, it is a computer in a protected case with appropriate software and means of navigation and communication.
The terminal receives and processes target information and calculates data for firing. Sometimes it is directly integrated into the on-board fire control system of self-propelled guns or MLRS, which accelerates targeting and further damage to the target.
In addition, the complex also includes several types of self-propelled or towed command posts. Actually, they collect all the data that they analyze, analyze the situation and search for goals. AFATDS collects data from many sources, both from regular artillery intelligence and from other branches of the military.
Then, via a protected radio channel, the targeting is transmitted directly to the firing points. Basically, AFATDS deals with target data calculation and artillery fire coordination. At the same time, all processes are fully automated.
However, the main component of the system can still be called special software. Its constant updating and refinement allow maintaining the high characteristics of the entire automatic control system regardless of various factors. Also of great importance is the specially developed transmission protocol, which allows you to carry various artillery means over long distances.
What experts say
According to military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi, these 18 complexes compensate for the truncated HIMARS software transferred to Ukraine. He noted that the USA handed Ukraine HIMARS with limited software.
"For example, there is no Link 16 NATO communication system there. Moreover, there is no ATACMS missile shooting software there," Kyrychevsky emphasized.
He added that the installations have software capable of guiding GMLRS missiles and shooting them at the specified coordinates.
"There will be no such restrictions on these 18 launchers that are being produced for us. And this is quite valuable," Kyrychevskyi believes.
Military expert Petro Chernyk, in turn, said that the adoption of IFATDS by the Ukrainian army will improve the accuracy and quality of artillery fire.
"The deviation can be from one to ten meters - it all depends on the modification of the missile. And each generation of specialized equipment reduces this deviation. It happens that all goals are absolutely achieved," he emphasized.
According to a former US military person who has dealt with AFATDS/IFATDS systems, they give the operator the ability to increase "situational awareness" in near real time. The information is processed and issued to the operator using one common operating system that "can integrate with other systems such as air defense, intelligence, etc."
Cons.
Among the minuses of the system, this radio communication channel can be noted. According to the statements, it should be resistant to electronic devices. How it will be in practice will have to be checked by the Ukrainian military.
Another, more important minus is the number of systems that will come to Ukraine. 18 pieces is an insufficient number of systems for such a large TBD. At the same time, in the same FMS document, it is said that the largest number of IFATDS will not be received by Ukraine, but by Latvia.
The Armed Forces of this country will receive 55 American automatic control systems. Taiwan will receive another 16 sets. However, it is not a fact that fifty IFATDS for Latvia will not be sent as a replacement for some other weapon that the country's authorities will provide to Ukraine accordingly.
