Belarus has developed and presented an automated reconnaissance, control, and communication complex for forward air controllers called "Pustelga." The new system is designed for precise and rapid guidance of strike aircraft onto ground and air targets of the enemy. The complex is compatible with a wide range of combat air platforms, including helicopters of all types, as well as Su-25 attack aircraft, Yak-130 combat-trainer aircraft, and L-39 aircraft.
"Pustelga" implements end-to-end automation of key tasks faced by an aviation forward observer on the front line:
- displaying and updating data on the combat composition, deployment, and capabilities of both friendly and enemy forces;
- collecting and transmitting information about the air situation directly to the pilot's tablet;
- transmitting target coordinates and target designations in real-time;
- automatically calculating and plotting routes for combat missions;
- performing engineering and navigational calculations for safe and effective flight.
A special feature of the complex is its mobility and versatility: the equipment can be placed on any type of wheeled or tracked chassis, which ensures high tactical flexibility and rapid deployment in modern combat conditions.
The integration of "Pustelga" into a unified reconnaissance-strike loop provides significant combat advantages:
- expands the air controller's guidance zone by 10 times
- accelerates the reaction of strike aviation
- increases the accuracy and validity of target selection
- guarantees the destruction of even moving objects in all weather conditions – day and night
- reduces the vulnerability of aviation to enemy air defense systems
The main achievement of the complex is the full integration of the forward air controller into a unified digital control loop, which should dramatically increase the speed of guidance in conditions of a saturated electronic warfare environment and active countermeasures.