On March 12, 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showcasing artillery drills in the Western Military District, where units employed the laser-guided smart shell “one hundred hits, one hundred successes” Krasnopol. This video sparked debate among military analysts regarding the effectiveness of Krasnopol compared to American precision-guided munitions, particularly the M982 Excalibur.
The United States was the first country in the world to field smart artillery shells with the introduction of the M712 Copperhead, a 155 mm laser-guided round, in 1982. Four years later, the Soviet Union also introduced the 152 mm laser-guided artillery system 2K25 Krasnopol.
Krasnopol shell with semi-active laser seeker. (Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin).
Both systems share similar guidance methods and combat capabilities, but Krasnopol has the advantage of range, capable of hitting targets up to 20 km away, compared to 16 km for the Copperhead. Both types of shells utilize an inertial navigation system (INS) to correct their flight path in the mid-phase, while the semi-active laser seeker is activated during the terminal phase to enhance accuracy.
However, military expert Vadim Saranov argues that the early smart artillery shells from both Russia and the U.S. faced numerous technical hurdles. “The shells can only hit targets within the line of sight of the laser designator. Artillery scouts must carry the bulky laser designator, command, and communication equipment close to the target to illuminate it, which exposes their position,” Saranov stated.
The automatic targeting equipment for Krasnopol during the Soviet era weighed up to 42 kg and required about three people to transport. Furthermore, the process of illuminating a target with a laser lasted 10-13 seconds, making artillery scouts vulnerable to detection and counterfire from the enemy.
Since the late 1990s, the development of precision-guided artillery shells in Russia and the U.S. has diverged into two different paths. Russian manufacturers continued to enhance the combat capabilities of Krasnopol, extending its range to 25 km. Meanwhile, the U.S. shifted to equipping its new smart artillery shells with GPS guidance systems.
As a result, the Pentagon fielded the M982 Excalibur in 2006. Named after the legendary sword of King Arthur, Excalibur shells were deployed in counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and made a strong impression on commanders there. Approximately 92% of Excalibur rounds hit within a 4-meter radius of the target from a maximum distance of 40 km.
The upgraded Excalibur version has a range of up to 57 km. The GPS guidance mechanism allows U.S. artillery to strike targets under complex weather conditions, whereas the laser guidance system on the Copperhead is rendered ineffective in fog or smoke.
Nevertheless, the GPS guidance system also represents a critical potential weakness for Excalibur. In scenarios where the satellite navigation network is compromised or in heavily jammed electronic warfare environments, the guidance system may deviate, causing the Excalibur round to lose its accuracy.
GPS-guided artillery shells are often less accurate when targeting moving targets due to their continuously changing coordinates. In contrast, Krasnopol shells can easily track the reflected laser signal from a vehicle traveling at nearly 40 km/h to engage the target.
Recognizing this shortcoming, Raytheon, the manufacturer of Excalibur, began developing the Excalibur S version using laser guidance mechanisms in 2014. Conversely, the Tula Instrument Design Bureau in Russia is also researching the Krasnopol-D model equipped with the Glonass satellite navigation system.
“In the near future, both Russia and the U.S. will possess a variety of smart artillery shells tailored for specific target types,” Saranov remarked.
U.S. soldiers firing Excalibur shells. (Photo: Defence Industry Daily).
The biggest barrier to the widespread use of smart artillery shells is their exorbitant cost, with each Excalibur and Krasnopol shell priced at around $50,000 to $70,000.
A cost-effective solution is to equip conventional shells with GPS sensors and miniaturized control fins, similar to the U.S. JDAM bombs. In 2013, the Pentagon began deploying the M1156 Precision Guidance Kit, transforming standard 155 mm artillery shells into smart munitions for less than $10,000 each. However, this type of shell has only half the accuracy of the Excalibur line.
Russia is also developing a similar device for 152 mm artillery shells and plans to test it in the near future.
