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...semi-active laser-guided projectiles, course-corrected munitions and fuzes, and sensor-fuzed munitions.
The purpose of this article is not to discuss all these advanced artillery munitions. Rather, it focuses on the semi-active laser-guided projectile known as "Krasnopol"--the description of the projectile and its capabilities, its proliferation, the training required for it, employment of it and countermeasures to Krasnopol.
Description and Capabilities. Krasnopol is Russian-developed and Russian-produced projectile designed to defeat armored vehicles; multiple rocket launchers; self-propelled artillery systems; command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence ([C.sup.4]I) centers; defensive fortifications; bridges; and water crossings.
Fielded in 1987, Krasnopol provides cannon artillery units several advantages. First, these units can fire at individual targets--to include pinpoint targets such as tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), field fortifications, etc.--with a high probability of a first-round kill. Thus, the traditional requirement for an area fire or artillery barrage is eliminated. Second, a tube artillery unit can fire at group targets using the same gun settings computed relative to the center of mass of the group target.
Third, the Krasnopol can be fired without meteorological and ballistic data at a range not to exceed 10 to 12 kilometers. This last capability stems from the "footprint" of the seeker (about 2,000 meters long and about 1,600 meters wide) that allows the projectile to "see" the designation spot regardless of Met-induced deviations coupled with sufficient projectile mobility to steer the projectile back to the designated target.
Krasnopol Variants. Krasnopol is produced in three variants derived from the 152-mm Krasnopol: the Krasnopol-M 152-mm, Krasnopol-155 (KM-1) and Krasnopol-M 155-mm (KM-2). (See the figure.)
The base round for the three variants is the Krasnopol 152-mm (3OF-39). It is a two-section projectile designed to operate with both towed (D-20, 2A36 and 2A65) and self-propelled (2S3, 2S5, and 2S19) guns and howitzers. Originally, it was designed for operation with the D-20 and 2S3 howitzers. The Krasnopol 152-mm requires a special charge when fired from 2A36 and 2S5 guns.
However, a drawback to this round is its incompatibility with the autoloader of the 2S19 and ammunition stowage cells on all self-propelled howitzers due to the projectile's length. This characteristic led to the development of the first variant, the Krasnopol-M 152-mm. This single-piece projectile is about 600-mm shorter than the original and fits into the 2S19 autoloader.
The second variant of the Krasnopol was the modification of the original round to allow it to be fired from 155-mm howitzers. The Krasnopol-155 (also known as KM-1) has a 155-mm slipping obturator and a bourrelet to ensure ballistic stability in larger bore howitzers. The third variant, Krasnopol-M 155-mm (also known as KM-2) was developed for use in 155-mm howitzers. It is based on the shorter Krasnopol-M 152-mm and has a slightly larger diameter obturator to fit the rifling on 155-mm cannons.
Comparison of Krasnopol to Copperhead. The information in the figure is from the Krasnopol producer and compares the operational characteristics of the Krasnopol, Krasnopol-M and the US Copperhead laser-guided munitions....
NOTE: All illustrations and photos
have been removed from this article.
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