Alongside the large-scale production of armored vehicles and combat aircraft, the Russian defense industry has managed to produce considerable quantities of artillery shells to equip the Russian Ground Forces since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Among these, the long-range guided projectiles of the Krasnopol family stand out, which are being supplied in one of their most advanced versions. This is evidenced by the recent confirmation of the delivery of new batches of Krasnopol-M2 projectiles, as reported days ago.
Originally designed in its early versions during the Soviet Union era, the Krasnopol corresponded to a 152 mm guided artillery projectile, compatible with the towed and self-propelled howitzers then in service with the Red Army and Eastern Bloc allies, such as the D-20, 2A65, and 2S3 Akatsiya, among others.
Over the decades, improved versions of the Krasnopol have been developed, including variants in 155 mm caliber, compatible with artillery systems used in Western countries in order to increase its export potential.
Among these latest versions, and currently being used in the Ukrainian conflict, is the Krasnopol-M2, which has recently been delivered in new batches to the Russian Ground Forces for use with their self-propelled and towed artillery howitzers.
With semi-active guidance and a caliber of 152 mm (as well as 155 mm), it can be employed by the most modern Russian self-propelled howitzers, such as the 2S19 Msta and 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV, and has an approximate range of 25 kilometers.
According to Rostec, the consortium stated that the projectile has been used to engage targets such as “… firing positions, fortifications, command posts, temporary deployment points and control stations for unmanned aerial vehicles, bridges, crossings, and other targets.”
Adding that: “it is distinguished by its high effectiveness and exceptional accuracy even at maximum ranges. With a precise hit, it is capable of disabling important enemy targets. At the same time, the ‘Krasnopol-M2’ guided projectile can be fired from both self-propelled and towed howitzers, from closed firing positions.”
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