Regularly, the British Ministry of Defence releases its assessment of the situation in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. On November 14, 2023, it writes on the X platform:
“Russia has announced its intention to increase the production of its laser-guided 152mm artillery ammunition, Krasnopol-M2, and improve the projectile’s performance in adverse weather conditions. Russian artillery has already achieved success with Krasnopol, often used to accurately target individual Ukrainian vehicles. The Russian arms industry is struggling to produce sufficient conventional ammunition, and the planned expansion of production for Krasnopol is likely an attempt to make more efficient use of production capacities.
Russia is employing unmanned aerial vehicles to designate targets for Krasnopol by directing a laser beam at the target. However, the projectile’s performance is primarily affected by low-hanging clouds, as the laser detector does not have sufficient time to detect the laser energy and adjust for the hit. The Russian industry is likely to try to enhance Krasnopol’s flight performance and reduce the laser detection time of the projectile. With the approaching onset of winter, Russia’s access to improved precision munitions is likely to be one of the key factors influencing its operational performance in Ukraine.”
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (2022-12-14), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Image size changed)
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