America’s Excalibur Meets Russian Krasnopol Precision-guided Shell in Ukraine

Ukrainian forces have been using America’s most accurate artillery shell, the  Excalibur for sometime now as a plan to replenish US stock acknowledges that the Pentagon has been supplying Ukraine with the Raytheon-made shell.

Bloomberg reported from U.S. government documents that the Defense Department will spend $92 million “for procurement of replacement M982 Excalibur munitions transferred to Ukraine in support of the international effort to counter Russian aggression.”

The GPS-guided Excalibur has a range of 40.5 kilometers, according information from Raytheon.

Ukraine has in the recent past reported strikes on a number of Russian command and control units which requires precision-weapons. Since it is lacks  air-to-ground guided missiles and the means to deliver them, it probably is putting the Excalibur rounds, fired from 155mm howitzers, to good use.

Krasnopol precision-guided artillery munition

Russia’s answer to the Excalibur is the Krasnopol,  a GPS-guided artillery munition that comprises a high explosive fire-adjusted shell and a laser target designator to direct the projectile at the target. 

Developed by Kalashnikov Concern, known more for its AK-47 rifle, the 152mm shell can be used by all types of artillery systems, including the Msta-S, Msta-SM and Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled artillery systems.

The shell with its 8 kg warhead can hit a target at a distance of 20 km. Russian official media has reported to the use of of the Krasnopol round in Ukraine.

The latest Krasnopol-M2 version uses 155mm shells, boasts a longer striking range (26 km) and improved accuracy of hitting small-size targets. In addition, the upgraded artillery munition features bolstered firepower and the capability to strike targets in any time of the day or night, even under strong wind conditions and heavy clouds, according to Kalashnikov information.