Day: October 9, 2025

Putin on Azal  crash:
“И две ракеты, которые были выпущены, не поразили напрямую самолёт – если бы это произошло, он рухнул бы на месте, – а взорвались – может быть, это была самоликвидация – в нескольких метрах, где-то примерно в 10 метрах.
#Putin  #AzalCrash  #ProximityFuse
И поэтому поражение произошло, но главным образом не поражающими элементами боевыми, а, скорее всего, обломками самих ракет. Именно поэтому пилот и воспринял это как столкновение со стаей птиц, о чём он и передал российским диспетчерам, и это всё зафиксировано в так называемых «чёрных ящиках».”
kremlin.ru/events/president/…
In air defense, a proximity fuse uses a built-in radar system to detonate an anti-aircraft shell or missile when it gets close enough to a target, rather than requiring a direct hit. This significantly increased effectiveness, as the shell explodes into a cloud of shrapnel, tearing apart the attacking aircraft. Developed during World War II by the British and Americans, this “secret weapon” drastically improved the success rate of anti-aircraft defenses against German aircraft and V-1 rockets, revolutionizing warfare and paving the way for modern smart weapons.  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
How it Works

Radar Signal: The fuze’s miniature transmitter emits a continuous radio wave. [3]
Reflection: As the shell or missile approaches an aircraft, the wave reflects off the target and returns to the fuze’s receiver. [3, 6]
Detonation: When the reflected signal indicates the shell is at the optimal proximity to the target, the fuze triggers the explosive charge. [1, 3]

Impact on Air Defense

Increased Kill Rates: Anti-aircraft guns equipped with proximity fuzes were able to destroy a much higher percentage of enemy aircraft and rockets, turning the tide in battles like the defense of London against V-1 flying bombs. [4, 5]
Shrapnel Dispersion: Unlike a direct hit, which might only disable one part of an aircraft, the airburst from a proximity fuse scatters shrapnel over a wider area, maximizing damage to the entire plane. [3]
Revolutionized Warfare: The technology rendered traditional military tactics less effective, shortening World War II, and introduced the concept of “smart weapons” into modern warfare doctrine. [5]

Development and Deployment

World War II Origins: The concept was pioneered in Britain and further developed in the United States, which incorporated Doppler radar technology for detection. [2, 7]
Mass Production: The US produced millions of these fuzes, using ruggedized miniature vacuum tubes that could withstand the extreme forces of being fired from a gun. [1, 7, 8]
Secrecy: The technology was kept highly secret, with deployment initially restricted to naval forces to prevent its capture and understanding by enemy forces. [5, 9]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  si.edu/object/fuze-proximity…
[2]  history.navy.mil/research/li…
[3]  malwarwickonbooks.com/wwii-t…
[4]  youtube.com/watch?v=E4TXC3cl…
[5]  youtube.com/watch?v=oRqzmHMW…
[6]  britannica.com/technology/pr…
[7]  youtube.com/watch?v=VGZT5cuC…
[8]  usni.org/magazines/naval-his…
[9]  historynet.com/proximity-fuz…

Not all images can be exported from Search.

proximity fuse in air defence – Google Search  google.com/search?q=proximit…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 9, 2025