Ukrainian forces destroy rare Russian counter-battery radar

A rare Russian mobile counter-battery radar was obliterated by a Ukrainian artillery strike.

The Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group reported that at least one Zoopark-1 was destroyed by GMLRS strikes of the Ukrainian army in the Zaporizhzhia region.

The Zoopark-1, also known as 1L259, is a mobile counter-battery radar system used to detect incoming artillery fire and determine its source for counterattacks. The radar system is mounted on the MT-LB, a Soviet multi-purpose, fully amphibious auxiliary armored tracked vehicle.

The system was developed by the Russian company NNIIRT, a subsidiary of the Almaz-Antey Concern, in the 1980s and has been in service with the Russian Armed Forces since the 1990s.

The Zoopark-1’s primary purpose is to locate the origin of incoming enemy fire and supply precise coordinates to friendly forces, enabling them to engage the enemy effectively. By employing a phased array antenna, the Zoopark-1 scans the battlefield for enemy artillery, mortars, and rocket fire, determining the position and trajectory of projectiles.

According to Russian media, the Zoopark-1 radar can detect mortar fire at a distance of up to 20 km, allowing friendly forces to locate and counter enemy mortar positions. It can also detect artillery fire with a maximum range of 30 km, providing valuable information about the location of enemy artillery units and enabling counter-fire missions as well as rocket fire at a distance of up to 50 km, helping to identify and target enemy rocket launchers or multiple rocket launch systems.