Once an enemy mortar or gun battery has been identified using the new Sonus system , the decision can then be taken to engage — Once an enemy mortar or gun battery has been identified using the new Sonus system, the decision can then be taken to engage (Picture: MOD)

Army

Search and destroy: Specialist Army unit getting device to hunt for enemy weapons

Soldiers from 5th Regiment Royal Artillery are getting a device that will let them locate enemy gun and mortar positions more quickly – and without revealing their own location.

The regiment, which is the Army's sole surveillance and target acquisition unit, will be equipped with the Sonus system, made by Leonardo UK, over the next 12 months.

The system works by detecting acoustic pressure waves from gunfire, mortars and explosions.

Keep quiet and carry on

This form of detection means the system can operate covertly, without emitting an electronic signature, which will help the soldiers operating it to avoid enemy fire.

The role of 5th Regiment is to provide 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team and the Warfighting Division with specialist weapon-locating and counter-fire capabilities.

So having identified potential targets using Sonus, they can then choose to take evasive or offensive action more effectively.

The £18.3m contract was awarded five years earlier than originally planned, and the Sonus systems will be used by one of the largest units in the British Army.

Known by its nickname The Yorkshire Gunners, 5th Regiment Royal Artillery is based at Marne Barracks in Catterick.

It's composed of 53 (Louisburg) Air Assault Battery, 4/73 (Sphinx) Special OP Battery, 93 (Le Cateau) Battery, K (Hondeghem) Battery, P Battery (The Dragon Troop) Q/HQ (Sanna's Post) Battery and a Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers workshop.

At the moment the Royal Artillery can hit the enemy with weapons like the L118 Light Gun and the Archer (pictured), but it will be getting a new self-propelled howitzer in the form of the RCH 155 (Picture: MOD)

Deployable in less than three minutes

The regiment is receiving the Sonus system under Project Serpens, with Sonus being the latest iteration of Leonardo's Hostile Artillery Location system (Halo).

Halo has been around for more than 25 years and has been in use with six Nato nations, seeing battlefield use in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Leonardo points out how Sonus is 50% smaller and weighs 70% less than its predecessor, making it easier to transport, position and conceal.

Its reduced power consumption means a longer operational life in the field, limiting the need for resupply.

The system's sensor posts also feature integrated GPS microphones, enabling deployment in under three minutes, reducing the risk of exposure to soldiers operating in hostile territory.