Army-2024 – KBP unveils its Krasnopol-M2 155 mm guided weapons system
At the Army-2024 exhibition, the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP, part of the High-Precision Systems holding) presented for the first time the Krasnopol-M2 guided ammunition for 155 mm artillery systems. The Krasnopol-M2 system is based on the 152 mm Krasnopol-M, which demonstrated high combat effectiveness in the Ukrainian theater of military operations when engaging small mobile or fixed targets
As explained at the KBP stand, the new development is intended for export to those countries that are armed with 155 mm artillery systems.
The target can be illuminated either by a ground-based laser target designator-rangefinder LCD-3M or by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The use of UAVs to illuminate targets ensures their destruction deep in the enemy’s defense, where the placement of a command and observation post is often impossible or associated with a risk to the combat crew.
At the Army-2024 exhibition, a new K155M guided artillery projectile with increased combat power and an increased firing range was demonstrated as part of the Krasnopol-M2 complex, as well as the Orlan-30 UAV, equipped with an optoelectronic reconnaissance system, laser target designation and automatic target tracker.
The new system is designed for high-precision destruction of stationary and moving armoured and unarmoured targets and engineering structures by 155 mm artillery systems. A tank-type target can be destroyed with the first shot without adjustment.
The maximum firing range from open and closed firing positions is 20-25 km, depending on the type of artillery system and the region of operation. The K155M projectile is 1,200 mm long and weighs 54 kg. It is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead with an explosive mass of 9.5 kg. The probability of hitting a target at a distance of 5 to 9 km is 0.6, from 9 to 16 km – 0.8, from 16 to 20 (25) km – 0.7.
The Krasnopol-M2 complex is controlled by the Malakhit portable complex of automated fire control systems for artillery units (kompleks sredstv avtomatizirovannogo upravleniya ognem artilleriiskix podrazdelenii – KSAUO). It allows detecting and illuminating targets in hard-to-reach areas, including at night, performs topographic mapping, orientation of the firing position and command and observation post, and performs automated calculation of firing data.
Photo by N. Morris at Army 2024
