veloped for use in 155-mm howitzers. It
is based on the shorter Krasnopol-M
152-mm and has a slightly larger diam-
eter obturator to fit the rifling on 155-
mm cannons.
Comparison of Krasnopol to Copper-
Krasnopol-M 155-mm head. The information in the figure is
Krasnopol:
from the Krasnopol producer and com-
pares the operational characteristics of
the Krasnopol, Krasnopol-M and the
US Copperhead laser-guided munitions.
Copperhead is the only artillery-deliv-
ered laser-guided munition in the US in-
ventory.
A Laser-Guided Projectile Both the Krasnopol and Krasnopol-M
are superior to the Copperhead in the
areas of range, projectile weight, target
By Walter L. Williams and Michael D. Holthus types engaged, attack profile and op-
erational field handling. However, there
T
echnological advances in foreign a range not to exceed 10 to 12 kilome- is a 15 percent range difference (three
precision weapons and their com- ters. This last capability stems from the kilometers) between the Krasnopol and
ponents are having a revolution- “footprint” of the seeker (about 2,000 the Krasnopol-M.
ary impact on US combined arms doc- meters long and about 1,600 meters Operating the Krasnopol. The Rus-
trine and tactics. Currently there are wide) that allows the projectile to “see” sians designed the Krasnopol to operate
three members of the family of ad- the designation spot regardless of Met- within an assigned sector or what could
vanced artillery munitions that are forc- induced deviations coupled with suffi- be referred to as a “shoot straight ahead”
ing a change in how we deploy and cient projectile mobility to steer the philosophy. A Krasnopol-equipped bat-
fight. They are semi-active laser-guided projectile back to the designated target. tery normally is assigned a specific op-
projectiles, course-corrected munitions Krasnopol Variants. Krasnopol is pro- erating frequency for the laser target
and fuzes, and sensor-fuzed munitions. duced in three variants derived from the designator. For example, in a Krasnopol-
The purpose of this article is not to dis- 152-mm Krasnopol: the Krasnopol-M equipped battalion, Battery A would
cuss all these advanced artillery muni- 152-mm, Krasnopol-155 (KM-1) and get one frequency, Battery B, a second
tions. Rather, it focuses on the semi- Krasnopol-M 155-mm (KM-2). (See frequency, and Battery C a third for
active laser-guided projectile known as the figure.) operations within their respective sec-
“Krasnopol”—the description of the The base round for the three variants is tors of operation.
projectile and its capabilities, its prolif- the Krasnopol 152-mm (3OF-39). It is a The frequency setting on most of the
eration, the training required for it, two-section projectile designed to op- rounds ranges from three (for the
employment of it and countermeasures erate with both towed (D-20, 2A36 and Krasnopol) to 30 (for the Krasnopol-
to Krasnopol. 2A65) and self-propelled (2S3, 2S5, and M). There is a switch at the base of the
Description and Capabilities. 2S19) guns and howitzers. Originally, it 3OF-39 and the KM-1 Krasnopol pro-
Krasnopol is a Russian-developed and was designed for operation with the D-20 jectiles that the operator turns to set the
Russian-produced projectile designed and 2S3 howitzers. The Krasnopol 152- frequency.
to defeat armored vehicles; multiple mm requires a special charge when fired The Krasnopol-M has six switches on
rocket launchers; self-propelled artil- from 2A36 and 2S5 guns. the outside of the projectile that set the
lery systems; command, control, com- However, a drawback to this round is following: time of flight to ballistic cap
munications, computers, and intelli- its incompatibility with the autoloader removal (two switches), glide/ballistic
gence (C4I) centers; defensive fortifica- of the 2S19 and ammunition stowage mode (one switch), frequency setting
tions; bridges; and water crossings. cells on all self-propelled howitzers due (two switches), quick or delay fuze set-
Fielded in 1987, Krasnopol provides to the projectile’s length. This charac- ting (one switch).
cannon artillery units several advan- teristic led to the development of the Normally, the frequency setting
tages. First, these units can fire at indi- first variant, the Krasnopol-M 152-mm. switches are adjusted upon receipt of
vidual targets—to include pinpoint tar- This single-piece projectile is about 600- the projectiles at the unit ammunition
gets such as tanks, infantry fighting vehi- mm shorter than the original and fits supply point and before being stored in
cles (IFVs), field fortifications, etc.— into the 2S19 autoloader. the howitzer. However, the time of flight,
with a high probability of a first-round The second variant of the Krasnopol glide/ballistic mode and fuze settings
kill. Thus, the traditional requirement was the modification of the original are mission dependent. Therefore, these
for an area fire or artillery barrage is round to allow it to be fired from 155- settings are prepared before firing a
eliminated. Second, a tube artillery unit mm howitzers. The Krasnopol-155 (also mission.
can fire at group targets using the same known as KM-1) has a 155-mm slip- These three settings must be accom-
gun settings computed relative to the cen- ping obturator and a bourrelet to ensure plished in less than one minute during
ter of mass of the group target. ballistic stability in larger bore howit- the prep for firing. For example, one
Third, the Krasnopol can be fired with- zers. The third variant, Krasnopol-M crewmember may be adjusting the fre-
out meteorological and ballistic data at 155-mm (also known as KM-2) was de- quency while another is simultaneously
30 September-October 2002 Field Artillery
preparing the charges. Therefore, the aerodynamic control surfaces (on the pulses are invisible to the naked eye.
difference in the Krasnopol and Copper- projectile body) guide the projectile to The pulses are only visible if observed
head preparation times is not significant. the target. Once the target is destroyed, through a platinum-silicide (PtSi) CCD
The 2K25 Krasnopol complex in- the LTD shifts to another target and camera (similar to a home video cam-
cludes the 3OF-39 Krasnopol projec- continues to engage either planned tar- era) or night-vision devices operating
tile; a 1D22, 1D20 or 1D15 laser target gets or targets of opportunity. in the near-IR spectrum (0.7 to 3.0).
designator (LTD); and the 1A35 shot Most foreign users are employing Laser-warning receivers mounted on
synchronization system (1A35K com- Krasnopol in the manner in which it was vehicles and equipment can detect the
mand device and 1A35I observation intended—that is, engaging dug-in fight- laser pulses. Various open-source pub-
post device). Normally, an LTD opera- ing positions. Infantry with crew-served lications disclose that western laser-
tor aims a laser at a target and one to two weapons, anti-tank guided missiles po- warning receivers are more sensitive
rounds are fired for target engagement. sitions and observation posts, en- than Russian laser-warning receivers.
A signal confirming the firing of the trenched or with overhead cover, are In several instances, laser-warning
projectile is transmitted from the firing notoriously difficult to destroy with in- receivers have been mounted on vari-
unit (via a communications link from direct fire, even when fires are observed. ous former East European armored ve-
the 1A35K to the 1A35I) to the battery One or two Krasnopol projectiles can hicles. However, there are no laser warn-
command observation post (COP). destroy these positions quickly, and the ing receivers fielded on US Army ar-
The LTD operator continues to illumi- number of rounds dramatically reduces mored vehicles.
nate the target with a laser beam during the chances of counterfire. Proliferation. The original Krasnopol
the terminal phase of Krasnopol’s flight. Laser Warning Devices. Although the and its variants are proliferating rap-
The Krasnopol’s gyroscopic homing observers have to be able to see the idly. The projectile has been sold to at
head locks onto the target beam, and target to designate it, the infrared laser least 12 countries in Africa, the Middle
Characteristics Krasnopol Krasnopol-M Copperhead
(3OF-39 & KM-1) (KM-2)
Caliber (mm) 152/155 152/155 155
Firing System (The systems Towed: D-20, 2A36, 2A65, Towed: D-20, 2A36, 2A65, Towed: M114A2, M198
on this row are presented as TR-1, M198, G-5 M114A2, M198, G-5; TR-1 SP: M109A2/3, M109A6
examples for each projectile SP: 2S3, 2S5, 2S19, M109 SP: 2S3, 2S5, 2S19, M109
caliber.) Series, AU-FI Series, G-6, AU-F1, FH-77B
Range (Km) 20 17-20* 16
Warhead Type Frag-HE Frag-HE HEAT
Length (mm) 1,300 955 1,370
Weight (Kg): Projectile 50 43 62
Warhead 20.5 20 22.5
Explosive 6.5 6.2 6.7
Targets Engaged Armored Vehicles, C4 I Posts, Armored Vehicles, C4I Posts, Armored Vehicles
Field Fortifications Field Fortifications
Target Attack Profile Diving Top Attack Diving Top Attack Laser Illuminated Point
Range Assist Rocket Motor Base Bleed None
Guidance: Initial Phase Free Flight Free Flight Free Flight
Middle Phase Inertial Inertial Inertial
Terminal Phase Semi-Active Laser Homing Semi-Active Laser Homing Semi-Active Laser Homing
Max Field Storage Time No Restrictions No Restrictions No longer than 72 hours
without Shipping Case inside SP artillery systems in
polyethylene bag.
Seeker Head Protection Protected by a nose cap Protected by a nose cap None. The seeker head must
While Handling the Projectile discarded in flight. discarded in flight. be protected from impact.
Pre-Fire Preparation Connect both parts of the Same as a standard Before loading, seeker dome
projectile. conventional munition. and tail fin slots must be
inspected for damage and
contamination.
Requirements for Loading Same as a standard Same as a standard No sand, dust or moisture. The
conventional munition. conventional munition. projectile must be protected
from impact with other surfaces.
*Depends on the length of the gun tube and charge scheme of firing the weapon. It has been reported that Krasnopol-M eventually
exceeded 22 kilometers when fired from 155-mm/52 caliber cannons.
Legend: C4I = Command, Control, Communications, Frag-HE = Fragmentary High Explosive SP = Self Propelled
Computers and Intelligence HEAT = High-Explosive Antitank
Krasnopol and Copperhead Comparative Operational Data
Field Artillery September-October 2002 31
East and Asia. At least nine other coun- cate the Krasnopol can be 20 to 50 times to plan kill zones along avenues of
tries are considering purchasing the pro- as effective as conventional HE projec- approach or counterattacks to engage
jectile. The Russians have used the tiles. and destroy moving targets.
Krasnopol in combat in Chechnya and Other “hidden” aspects of cost effec- Timeliness is critical during the en-
Dagestan. Additionally another foreign tiveness include the Krasnopol’s ease gagement of a moving target. The like-
buyer recently reported destroying eight of handling, storage and transport as lihood of a Krasnopol achieving a first-
of 10 tanks engaged during a combat compared to conventional ammunition; round hit is severely reduced if the
situation. less tube wear when firing it; and re- projectile is not delivered on time. Even
Known buyers include China, India, duced crew fatigue. the likelihood of a second-round hit is
Ukraine and Belarus. China is currently Although laser-guided projectiles may diminished due to the variation in loca-
producing both the 3OF-39 Krasnopol be more expensive than conventional tion of a moving target. Therefore, the
and the 155-mm version of the Krasno- HE projectiles on a one-for-one basis, employment of the Krasnopol is en-
pol-M. they are more cost effective than con- hanced through the training of units in
India, in particular, is an interesting ventional projectiles in many cases. In preplanning kill zones.
case study. Reportedly India fired be- fact, some fire missions, particularly Before the engagement, the LTD op-
tween 500,000 and 700,000 medium- destruction missions at long ranges, only erator conducts a terrain reconnaissance
caliber artillery projectiles in the recent can be accomplished with laser-guided of the kill zone using the laser range-
fighting in the Kargil Region. In spite of projectiles. finder on the target designator. The LTD
these vast expenditures, many of the Ease of Firing Table Addendum. Vir- operator predetermines the points of
insurgent positions still had to be as- tually any modern 155-mm howitzer engagement covered by the Krasnopol’s
saulted and destroyed by Indian infan- can fire Krasnopol (KM-1) and seeker footprint (one-kilometer radius
try soldiers. Krasnopol-M (KM-2) fitted with a 155- or a two-kilometer diameter). The gun
The Indian purchase of the Krasnopol mm diameter slipping obtruding band. range and azimuth settings are calcu-
is noteworthy in its scope (initial pur- Before they can be employed in com- lated (in advance) by the battery fire
chase of 1,000 projectiles with associ- bat, however, a firing table addendum direction center (FDC) and recorded by
ated laser designators) and potential must be prepared for the propelling the gun crew chief. This translates into
impact on future operations in the Kargil charges and the howitzer used. a higher probability of a first-round hit
Region and near the Siachen Glacier. The test team must determine the and the destruction of the moving tar-
These remote areas are served by rudi- muzzle velocity for each charge used to get. LTD operators and firing units train
mentary road networks that make the fire the Krasnopol and the chamber to the standard of achieving a direct hit
resupply of large amounts of artillery pressure/acceleration associated with on a moving vehicle on the first or
ammunition expensive and difficult. the firing. A ballistically matched dum- second shot.
Cost-Effectiveness. While Krasnopol my projectile (commonly referred to as Another technique is to target an ob-
may cost $30 to $55 thousand (US) per a slug) is fired with two crush gauges stacle, wait until the lead element stops
projectile, conventional ammunition is placed in the chamber. A radar is used to to clear the obstacle, then fire the pro-
not cheap, especially when considering determine the muzzle velocity, and the jectiles at the halted vehicle.
the quantities necessary for target de- crush gauges are used to derive the cham- Russia is exporting training and doc-
struction or neutralization. Indian offi- ber pressure/acceleration. trinal employment packages to foreign
cials shopping for replacement ammu- Once the muzzle velocity at a given Krasnopol buyers.
nition expect to pay between $800 to elevation is determined, a computer can Employment. There are many varia-
$1,200 (US) per complete 155-mm be used to calculate the firing table. tions in the types of equipment sets for
round for basic high-explosive (HE) This is checked or verified by firing Krasnopol firing units. The various tac-
projectiles. Russian calculations indi- working Krasnopol projectiles and tical situations and firing systems dic-
checking the achieved range versus tate the overall employment of the
the calculated range. Krasnopol.
Training. Russian and other na- FM 100-60 Armor- and Mechanized-
tions’ artillery units train under real- Based Opposing Force: Organization
istic field conditions to use laser- Guide—soon to be replaced by FM 7-
guided munitions. The training in- 100.5 Opposing Force (OPFOR) Orga-
cludes both gun crews and LTD op- nization Guide—lists a typical OPFOR
erators engaging and destroying sta- 152-mm self-propelled howitzer battal-
tionary and moving targets. ion as having four sets of the Krasnopol-
The targets are arrayed as a threat M. Each set is composed of the LTD
or foreign army would deploy forces (1D22, 1D20 or 1D15), the 1A35 shot
on the battlefield. Thus, the LTD synchronization system and 50 projec-
operator learns the skills required to tiles per LTD. Thus, a total of 200
determine targets and conditions that Krasnopol projectiles are fielded to a
either enhance or degrade the use of typical 152-mm self-propelled howit-
the munition. zer battalion.
Predicting when a target will enter One battery of the battalion can be
a kill zone is a very difficult task designated as the special-weapons or
The Krasnopol-M projectile showing base-bleed
when using a laser-guided munition. Krasnopol battery. The Krasnopol bat-
gas ports and deployed fins.
Therefore, LTD operators learn how tery commander designates one pla-
32 September-October 2002 Field Artillery
toon (possibly on a rotating basis to quires the LTD operator to first deter-
maintain crew proficiency) as the prin- mine a land feature or easily referenced
cipal Krasnopol firing unit. A Krasnopol landmark within the kill zone. The op-
platoon’s basic load consists of the erator surveys the kill zone for back-
Krasnopol, smoke and illuminating ground conditions that may cause back-
rounds. The Krasnopol firing platoon scatter (from other reflecting surfaces)
might retain 140 Krasnopol projectiles that would provide the target an early
while the 60 remaining projectiles are warning of the LTD laser beam. 155 mm
distributed throughout the battalion at a The LTD operator then lases at the Krasnopol-M
rate of four Krasnopols per tube. One predetermined offset point (15 to 20 with stabilizing
LTD is distributed to each battery COP meters from the target) at the beginning fins deployed and
(three per battalion) and the battalion’s of the fire mission. The LTD operator or nose cap/fuze removed.
mobile reconnaissance post. his assistant is alerted to the Krasnopol’s
The LTD operator uses a concealed appearance in the target area beam ei-
sualties from enemy artillery fire. The
location to position the LTD within a ther by a “munition approach” light-
30-degree arc left or right of the gun emitting diode on the 1A35 shot syn- Krasnopol and Krasnopol-M provide
users the ability to destroy targets at
target line and no more than seven kilo- chronization equipment or a blinking
lower expenditure rates and shorter fir-
meters (preferably five kilometers) from signal light in the optics of the LTD.
the target. The LTD operator follows The LTD operator begins shifting the ing times with substantial reductions in
the logistical burden.
standard fire mission procedures in de- laser target designator crosshairs to-
The proliferation of these rounds is
termining the target coordinates. ward the center of the target four to five
During engagement, each gun (in the seconds after the signal prompt. He providing potential US adversaries a
means to attack and destroy targets rang-
Krasnopol platoon) fires one Krasnopol shifts the laser beam from the offset
ing from thinly protected C4I systems to
projectile in succession, either on the point to the target two to three seconds
LTD operator’s command or on a pre- before the terminal phase of projectile armored vehicles at a critical place and
time on a future battlefield. As a niche
determined time sequence with less than flight.
technology, Krasnopol and other laser-
30 seconds between projectiles per des- The offset procedure takes six to eight
ignator. Upon destruction of the initial seconds. Thus, the Krasnopol poten- guided projectiles are potential force
multipliers for otherwise relatively low-
target, the LTD operator shifts the des- tially can hit and destroy the target be-
technology forces (including guerrilla
ignator to subsequent targets upwind fore the target can employ laser coun-
(from the previous engagement) to re- termeasures. The offset procedure re- forces or terrorists) against a more ad-
vanced force across a wide spectrum of
duce smoke and dust interference with quires a skilled LTD operator due to the
conflicts.
the designator. requirement for increased hand-eye
Countermeasures and Counter- coordination during the laser beam shift-
Countermeasures. A major shortcom- ing process.
ing of employing the Krasnopol (as Another countermeasure procedure is
well as other laser-guided munitions) is called “fake” or “decoy” designation.
Walter L. Williams is the Functional Area
the requirement to illuminate the target The objective of this procedure is to Analyst for Artillery, Ground Reconnais-
with the laser beam for five to 15 sec- make the vehicle crew react and employ sance, NBC and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
onds. Long target illumination times countermeasures, such as smoke gre- systems in the Threat Support Director-
enable enemy targets equipped with la- nades, against a LTD position that is at ate of the Training and Doctrine Command
ser warning detectors to employ coun- a different angle than the actual LTD Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Fort
termeasures that prevent the target from position. Leavenworth, Kansas. Williams is a former
further illumination by the laser beam. This procedure requires two LTD op- Army officer with a background in Infantry,
Thus, the guidance of the Krasnopol is erators or one LTD operator and an Logistics and Combat Developments. Be-
disrupted, and the target survives the observer equipped with a laser range- fore serving in his current position, he was
the World Class Opposing Force Chief of
engagement. finder. Once the target has entered the
Reconnaissance in the Army Battle Com-
The most effective means of protec- kill zone, the first LTD operator or the mand Training Program at Fort Leaven-
tion are laser-warning detectors that observer lases the target to make the worth. He holds a Master of Arts in Human
automatically cue grenade launchers to laser-warning receiver cue the vehicle Resource Management from the Univer-
fire a number of smoke grenades within crew to employ smoke grenades as a sity of Central Texas.
two to three seconds after detecting a countermeasure. As the smoke cloud
laser beam. A smoke cloud builds up builds up around the vehicle with an Michael D. Holthus is a Senior Analyst for
around the vehicle six to eight seconds orientation toward the perceived LTD Artillery-Delivered High Precision Munitions
after firing. The cloud bends or reflects position, the second LTD operator lases worldwide in the National Ground Intelli-
the laser beam and provides a false the target from a different angle and the gence Center, Charlottesville, Virginia. He
served on active duty seven years as a
homing point for the Krasnopol. In es- firing battery fires the Krasnopol pro-
Battery Fire Direction Officer, Executive
sence, an effective laser protection screen jectiles for the engagement. Officer, Artillery Battalion Intelligence Of-
is deployed around the target within eight Conclusion. The United States dem- ficer and Instructor at the Field Artillery
to 11 seconds after laser detection. onstrated during Desert Storm that the School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, before leaving
The LTD operator can counter this force that initially attains and maintains active duty in 1984. Holthus holds a Bach-
countermeasure by using an initial laser fire superiority has the advantage of elor of Science in Cellular Biology from the
offset procedure. This procedure re- freedom of maneuver and reduced ca- University of Kansas.
Field Artillery September-October 2002 33