- Russia says its Krasnopol-M2 guided artillery shell demonstrated high accuracy during a combat strike shown in defense ministry footage featuring a Msta-S howitzer.
- Rostec claims the projectile surpasses Western guided shells in accuracy, though no independent verification or supporting data has been provided.
Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec said its latest Krasnopol-M2 guided artillery shell has demonstrated accuracy exceeding Western analogues.
According to Rostec’s press service, the use of guided ammunition allows self-propelled and towed artillery systems to shift from area suppression roles toward precision engagement missions. The company said the Krasnopol-M2 projectile is designed to deliver point strikes against specific military objectives rather than blanket fire over large areas.
“The use of these munitions makes it possible to transform self-propelled artillery and towed howitzers from means of area suppression into an instrument for the pinpoint destruction of enemy targets,” Rostec said in a statement.
The company added that the munition, developed by its High-Precision Complexes holding, is employed in counter-battery warfare and against armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicle control points, troop deployment areas, and command posts.
“Sniper-level work with the Krasnopol developed by our High-Precision Complexes holding is in demand in counter-battery combat, when engaging armored vehicles, UAV control points, enemy deployment locations, command posts, and so on. And here not only firing accuracy is important, but also maneuver speed, which ensures the survivability of self-propelled artillery systems,” Rostec said.
Rostec further claimed that internal statistics show the guided projectile outperforming Western equivalents in accuracy, though no comparative data or independent verification was provided alongside the statement.
“Statistics show that Krasnopol noticeably surpasses Western guided shells in accuracy. The use of Krasnopol increases the speed of the cycle: detection – targeting – shot – withdrawal. The cross-country capability and mobility of the Msta-S allow it to quickly move, deploy into position, fire, and withdraw. Together with high automation, this allows the crew to complete a combat mission in 2–3 minutes,” the company said.
The Russian state corporation also stated that production of Krasnopol guided ammunition has increased several times since the start of what Moscow describes as its “special military operation.” According to Rostec, the use of guided shells reduces the consumption of conventional artillery ammunition by several multiples, reflecting an effort to conserve stockpiles while maintaining fire effectiveness.
Open-source information indicates that the Krasnopol-M2 is a laser-guided artillery projectile designed to destroy stationary and moving armored and unarmored targets, as well as engineering structures, with a first-round hit probability without adjustment fire. The munition can be fired from compatible artillery systems at ranges between approximately 20 and 25 kilometers, depending on the gun platform.
The projectile weighs about 54 kilograms and carries roughly 9.5 kilograms of explosive payload. Measuring approximately 1,200 millimeters in length, it corrects its flight trajectory using laser designation, which can be provided by forward observers or unmanned aerial vehicles operating near the target area.
The system is often compared to Western precision-guided artillery munitions such as the Excalibur guided projectile, which is widely used by NATO-standard artillery systems. However, no independent confirmation or verification from Western sources has supported Rostec’s claim that Krasnopol-M2 exceeds comparable Western rounds in accuracy.