Photos that have appeared in open sources indicate that while russians were leaving the west bank of Kherson oblast, the russian occupiers left the 1V119 Rheostat artillery fire control vehicle. Now such a machine has become a trophy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The relevant photos were published by the Ukraine Weapons Tracker.
The 1V119 Rheostat is designed to control the fire of batteries of self-propelled gun mounts 2S9 Nona from the amphibious forces. And in such a relatively small vehicle the Soviet designers inserted the TA-57 field telephone, the PUO-9 fire control device, the TNA-4 tank navigation equipment and other specific equipment. It is stated that the battery under the control of the Rheostat can open fire already 10 minutes after the march.
Read more: The Biggest Missile Attack on Ukraine so far: Over 90 Missiles, 73 Shot Down
According to some data, the USSR managed to produce only about 60 units of such vehicles, which apparently almost all bequeathed to the russian army. As of 2021, all 1V119 Rheostat were distributed between two units of the russian Airborne Forces: between the 7th Airborne Assault and 76th Airborne Divisions.
According to Oryx conservative estimates, as of now, russians have already lost at least 7 machines of this type: two units of the 1V119 Rheostat were destroyed, the other 5 became trophies of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Before russian invasion, Ukraine’s army had about fifty 2S9 Nona self-propelled guns, and captured at least four artillery units. Therefore, it seems that the 1V119 Rheostat vehicles seized by the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are used for a completely standard purpose, that is, to control the fire of the Nona self-propelled guns.
Especially since in open sources we can find 1V119 Rheostat and in "pixel" camouflage of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, probably taken from storage. Which in turn means that such a vehicle had been familiar to Ukraine’s military before the full-scale war with the russian federation.
Read more: The Krab Self-Propelled Gun Barrel Can Last Twice Longer Than Passport Specs Say
