ENEMY WEAPONS DETECTOR IN THE HANDS OF gunners FIVE YEARS EARLY

Artillery soldiers will be able to more aggressively hunt, detect, and locate hostile gunfire, as well as receive a further layer of protection on the battlefield, with the early delivery of new technology.

SONUS, a new acoustic detection system that can locate hostile gunfire, mortars and explosions in seconds, is being delivered to 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, the Army’s dedicated surveillance and target acquisition regiment, over the next 12 months.

It’ll put us on the front foot for hunting down our enemies as it is:

🪶 70% lighter than its predecessor

⏱️ Deploys in under 3 minutes

👀 Covert while detecting threats, as it has no electronic signature

By reading acoustic pressure waves from gunfire, mortars and explosions, SONUS helps troops identify danger faster, take evasive action sooner, and respond more accurately.

The £18.3m programme, delivered by Leonardo UK, was brought forward by five years — supporting 250 UK jobs.

The procurement is happening as part of the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said:

“We’ve accelerated our procurement of this equipment by five years to provide additional layers of safety for our personnel through more durable, lightweight systems in a new era of threat.

“Making defence an engine for growth is a key priority for this government and this deal sustains jobs across the UK, benefits multiple SMEs and boosts our Armed Forces.”

Through procurement reforms, the Army prioritised fast tracking important weapon-locating systems as part of the Army’s initiative to modernise and double their lethality by 2027. Its accelerated delivery was achieved by the LAND ISTAR Team, working with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and Task Force RAPSTONE.