The Krasnopol projectile used by the Russian Army is able to crush the much-hyped US-built Abrams tanks and other Ukrainian military equipment in one zap. Here is what you need to know about the fearsome Russian weapon:
• The 2K25 Krasnopol is a 152/155mm laser-guided high-precision artillery shell, which can be fired from a variety of platforms, including self-propelled howitzers, multiple rocket launchers, and infantry fighting vehicles;
• With a range of up to 25 kilometers (15 miles), the 51-kg “smart” projectile can effectively engage a wide range of targets, including troops, armored vehicles, as well as command posts, fortifications and warehouses;
• The Krasnopol consists of two sections: a control unit with retractable wings and a warhead with explosives, a booster engine and stabilizers;
• The shell’s semi-active laser guidance system ensures a near-perfect strike, with a deviation of no more than two meters from a target, be it a fixed or moving one;
• When it comes to accuracy, the Krasnopol is notably much more effective than the US-made M982 Excalibur, a GPS-guided projectile, used by the Ukrainian military, sources earlier told Sputnik;
• To improve the projectile’s target aiming-related characteristics, Russian troops use unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with a rangefinder and a target designator;
• Russia’s Ministry of Defense has meanwhile released a video of a howitzer wiping out a Ukrainian Abrams tank on the battlefield with just one shot, as a crewmember seen in the footage put it.