Russian field artillery. Russian artillery

MOSCOW, September 17 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Insane rate of fire, incredible range and lethal shells from GLONASS - the Russian Ministry of Defense at the beginning of September ordered an experimental batch of Coalition-SV self-propelled artillery units (SPG). The newest self-propelled guns should become the main divisional weapons of the Ground Forces, replacing the well-deserved Msta-S self-propelled guns. Even Western experts confirm: the Coalition is significantly superior to all its competitors, including the German PzH 2000, which was previously considered the best in the world. Nevertheless, Russian artillerymen always had something to answer the enemy. RIA Novosti publishes a selection of the most powerful and large-caliber domestic artillery systems.

"Peony" and "Malka"

Barrel artillery of especially large calibers has always played an important role in the arsenals of leading military powers. Both the USSR and the USA were involved in its development during the Cold War. Both states sought to create an effective means of delivering low-yield tactical nuclear weapons to strike concentrations of enemy troops at a relatively short distance.

In our country, such a weapon was the 203-mm self-propelled gun 2s7 "Pion" and its modification 2s7M "Malka". Despite the fact that the systems were created to fire projectiles with a special warhead, gunsmiths also produced powerful non-nuclear ammunition for them. For example, with a ZFOF35 high-explosive fragmentation active-rocket projectile weighing 110 kilograms, the “Pion” can hit as much as 50 kilometers. That is, in terms of combat capabilities, this self-propelled gun came very close to the main caliber guns of battleships from the Second World War.

However, power and range are not only advantages, but also, to some extent, disadvantages. In Russia, you can count on one hand the ranges suitable for firing from these guns at medium and maximum ranges. In addition, the ammunition capacity of self-propelled guns is relatively small - four shells for the Pion and eight for the Malka. Nevertheless, more than 300 of these self-propelled guns are still stored in the arsenals of the Armed Forces.

"Tulip"

The 2s4 "Tulpan" self-propelled mortar was put into operation back in the 1970s, but it still remains a formidable weapon, and no one is in a hurry to write it off. The main trump card of the Tulip is a wide range of destructive 240 mm ammunition - high-explosive, incendiary, cluster, guided. In Soviet times there were even neutron and nuclear mines with a yield of two kilotons. The mortar “throws” ammunition towards the target in a canopy, which allows you to destroy enemy targets hidden in folds of the terrain and fortifications. In this case, fire can be fired from a closed position, which is much more difficult to detect.

"Tulip" received its baptism of fire in the Afghan War. High mobility allowed it to move over rough terrain on a par with other armored vehicles, and its powerful weapon allowed it to destroy targets on the reverse slopes of mountains, in gorges and other shelters. High-explosive 240-mm mines effectively hit firing points in stone rubble and caves, adobe structures and enemy fortresses. "Tulips" were also used in Chechnya, where they were used to destroy concrete defensive structures in the mountains.

"Vein"

The Russian 120mm self-propelled artillery mount 2s31 "Vienna" was first presented at the IDEX-97 exhibition in the UAE. It was developed after the war in Afghanistan, where the light self-propelled guns “Nona”, which are in service with the Airborne Forces, performed well. The Ministry of Defense then considered that similar weapons were needed in the Ground Forces, but on the heavier BMP-3 chassis. The first "Viennas" began to enter the Russian army in 2010.

The main difference between the new self-propelled guns and the non-landing ones is their high automation. Each self-propelled gun is equipped with a weapon-computing system that allows you to receive and transmit information with firing data. The numbers are displayed on the monitor of the vehicle commander. The onboard computer can simultaneously store information about 30 enemy objects. The commander only needs to select a target, and then the automation itself will point the weapon at it. In the event of a new target suddenly appearing, Vienna will be ready to fire a high-explosive fragmentation projectile just 20 seconds after receiving the first information.

The self-propelled gun is equipped with a combined semi-automatic rifled 120-mm gun, combining the functions of a howitzer gun and a mortar. It can fire all types of mines of its caliber, regardless of the country of origin, which makes the Vienna very attractive from an export point of view.

"Tornado"

The BM-30 Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, adopted for service in 1987, are today considered the most powerful rocket artillery in the world. The installation in one salvo is capable of bringing down twelve 300-mm shells with cluster, high-explosive fragmentation or thermobaric warheads weighing 250 kilograms each on the enemy’s head. The area affected by a full salvo is about 70 hectares, and the firing range is from 20 to 90 kilometers. According to experts, a salvo of six Smerch launchers is comparable in destructive power to a tactical nuclear explosion.

Now, to replace the Smerchs, the troops are receiving the latest Tornado-S. They provide for the possibility of autonomous correction of the flight trajectory of rockets, carried out by gas-dynamic devices based on signals from the control system. Simply put, weapons designed to hit area targets have become highly accurate and can effectively target point targets.

The main ground strike force of any army has always been considered artillery, for the modernization of which both Russia and the United States have allocated increasingly significant funds in recent years.

The latest American creation in this area is the M109A7 self-propelled artillery mount of 155 mm caliber, which is already replacing the M109A6 “Paladin” system, which has long formed the basis of US self-propelled artillery.

In Russia, in turn, the ground forces are still armed with the rather outdated 152-mm self-propelled howitzer 2S3, which is being pushed aside by the more modern 2S19 systems and its modernized variants 2S19M1, 2S19M2 and 2S33. In addition, the Russians, unlike the United States, have a significant number of light and medium self-propelled guns, for example, 122 mm 2S1 and 120 mm 2S34.

How are all these systems different? And whose artillery - Russian or American - is better, and in what way?

As already mentioned, the M109A6 Paladin forms the backbone of American self-propelled artillery. The M109 self-propelled gun has many variants, but almost all of them are basically a manually loaded weapon with a trigger cord. This factor directly affects the rate of fire of the M109A6, which during prolonged firing is only one shot every three minutes. The newer M109A6 model, compared to previous models, has an important trump card, namely networking on the battlefield and the ability to quickly make decisions on firing after stopping, in order to immediately leave the position after firing shots to avoid being hit by enemy fire. It must be admitted that this is a very reliable and accurate system, but in terms of firepower it is superior to Russian, European, and Asian artillery installations.

America's latest development, the M109A7, is designed to correct this state of affairs. As you can easily guess from the name, this is another variant of the M109 self-propelled guns, but it uses a completely new chassis and turret. In addition, the self-propelled guns have a long-awaited automatic loader, which makes it possible to increase the combat rate of fire during long-term firing to one shot per minute, and the maximum rate of fire to four shots per minute. In addition, the M109A7 has higher survivability on the battlefield, which was achieved thanks to modular armor with additional underbody protection, which does not make it such an easy prey in guerrilla warfare, as was the case with previous models.

In Russia, the oldest howitzer still in service in the Russian army is the 2S3 and its modernized versions. Compared to recent developments, these are rather primitive 152-mm hand-loading guns. However, after modernization, the 2S3 received new fire control computers and navigation equipment, although the gun itself did not undergo any major changes. When loaded manually, the rate of fire of the installation is 2-3 rounds per minute, which is higher than that of the American Paladin, but inferior to another Russian artillery system - 2S19 Msta.

Currently, the 2S19 Msta is the main self-propelled howitzer in the Russian ground forces. It was adopted by the Soviet Union back in 1988, but still remains a very modern development. The gun was created in conjunction with the chassis, and the Msta's transportable ammunition capacity is 50 rounds, which is much more than that of the US M109.

The Msta's ammunition is located in the rear of the high turret of the self-propelled gun, and with the help of an automatic loader it is quickly fed into the gun in a given sequence. Having an automatic loader, the 2S19 received a rate of fire of 7-8 rounds per minute. In the 2S19M2 version, the rate of fire is already 10 rounds per minute, and this installation was developed and began to enter service around 2012. The 2S19M2 also has GLONASS for improved shooting accuracy and speed, and the latest version, the 2S33, has even more impressive features.

When comparing modern self-propelled guns in Russia and the United States, it should be noted that the main differences between the systems are the rate of fire and a comprehensive control system on the battlefield. The US ground forces have a much higher second indicator, but the American guns fire more slowly. The Russians prefer the firepower and rate of fire of howitzers, as well as the complex interaction of artillery. Each of the above concepts, of course, has its own merits, but leading military experts say that in the 21st century, electronics will be the determining factor in the development of artillery systems, since updating the “brains” of a combat unit is much easier than creating a fundamentally new weapon.

In this section you can get acquainted with various types of artillery, both domestic and created in other countries. We have prepared materials about the history of creation and characteristics of various weapons, their combat use. You will be able to get acquainted with the main trends in the development of modern world artillery.

Artillery is a branch of the military that uses relatively large-caliber firearms to destroy enemy manpower, its technical means and material objects. Artillery troops appeared in Europe in the 13th century. The first artillery pieces were distinguished by their large weight and size and were used to storm enemy cities. Only several centuries later did military artillery begin to be used during land battles.

Around the same period, artillery began to be used in naval battles, and soon guns became the main weapon of warships. Only in the last century did the role of cannons in naval battles begin to decrease; they were replaced by torpedo and missile weapons. However, even today artillery pieces are in service with almost any warship.

Russian artillery appeared somewhat later; the first memories of it go back to the 14th century. The first information about the manufacture of artillery pieces in Russia dates back to the 15th century. Regular Russian artillery units appeared already in the era of Peter the Great.

In the middle of the 19th century, a real revolution took place in artillery - rifled and breech-loading guns appeared, which increased the efficiency of the use of artillery and turned this type of military into one of the main ones on the battlefield. A little later, unitary ammunition for artillery guns was developed, which significantly increased their rate of fire.

The “finest hour” of artillery was the First World War. Most of the losses in this conflict were caused by artillery fire. Artillery was used especially widely by opponents in major conflicts. During this war, new types of guns were widely used: mortars, bomb throwers, and the first examples of anti-aircraft artillery appeared.

The importance of artillery increased further during World War II. The role of mortars and anti-tank artillery has increased significantly, and new types of artillery weapons have appeared: rocket artillery and self-propelled artillery units (SPG). On our website you will find information about the most famous examples of Soviet and German artillery of that time.

We have collected information about the best self-propelled guns of that period, including Soviet and German self-propelled guns.

During the same period, missile weapons began to develop rapidly, including anti-aircraft systems. Development of such weapons continued after the end of the conflict. Today, air defense systems are the basis of the air defense of any country in the world. Russia has enormous achievements in this area, which it inherited from the Soviet period.

Our country can develop and produce anti-aircraft missile systems of any modifications, designed to destroy air targets at different distances. Russian air defense systems are the most famous brand on the global arms market. Modern anti-aircraft missile systems are capable of destroying air targets at distances of hundreds of kilometers, and can even shoot down ballistic warheads and satellites. In this section you can learn about the latest air defense systems, both domestic and those created by designers from other countries, as well as the latest trends in the development of this type of weapon.

For hundreds of years, artillery was an important component of the Russian army. However, she reached her power and prosperity during the Second World War - it is no coincidence that she was called the “god of war.” An analysis of a long-term military campaign made it possible to determine the most promising areas of this type of troops for decades to come. As a result, today Russia’s modern artillery has the necessary power both to effectively conduct combat operations in local conflicts and to repel massive aggression.

Legacy of the past

New models of Russian weapons trace their origins back to the 60s of the 20th century, when the Soviet army leadership set a course for high-quality rearmament. Dozens of leading design bureaus, where outstanding engineers and designers worked, laid the theoretical and technical basis for the creation of the latest weapons.

The experience of previous wars and analysis of the potential of foreign armies clearly showed that it is necessary to rely on mobile self-propelled artillery and mortar launchers. Thanks to decisions made half a century ago, Russian artillery has acquired a substantial fleet of tracked and wheeled missile and artillery weapons, the basis of which is the “flower collection”: from the nimble 122-mm Gvozdika howitzer to the formidable 240-mm Tulip.

Barrel field artillery

Russian barrel artillery has a huge number of guns. They are in service with artillery units, units and formations of the Ground Forces and represent the basis of the firepower of marine units and internal troops. Barrel artillery combines high firepower, accuracy and accuracy of fire with simplicity of design and use, mobility, increased reliability, flexibility of fire, and is also economical.

Many samples of towed guns were designed taking into account the experience of the Second World War. In the Russian army, they are gradually being replaced by self-propelled artillery pieces developed in 1971-1975, optimized for performing fire missions even in conditions of a nuclear conflict. Towed guns are supposed to be used in fortified areas and in secondary theaters of military operations.

Samples of weapons

Currently, Russian cannon artillery has the following types of self-propelled guns:

• Floating howitzer 2S1 “Gvozdika” (122 mm).
• Howitzer 2SZ "Akatsia" (152 mm).
• Howitzer 2S19 "Msta-S" (152 mm).
• 2S5 "Gyacinth" gun (152 mm).
• 2S7 “Pion” gun (203 mm).

A self-propelled howitzer with unique characteristics and the ability to fire in the “burst of fire” mode 2S35 “Coalition-SV” (152 mm) is undergoing active testing.

The 120-mm self-propelled guns 2S23 Nona-SVK, 2S9 Nona-S, 2S31 Vena and their towed counterpart 2B16 Nona-K are intended for fire support of combined arms units. The peculiarity of these guns is that they can serve as a mortar, mortar, howitzer or anti-tank gun.

Anti-tank artillery

Along with the creation of highly effective anti-tank missile systems, significant attention is paid to the development of anti-tank artillery guns. Their advantages over anti-tank missiles lie primarily in their relative cheapness, simplicity of design and use, and the ability to fire around the clock in any weather.

Russian anti-tank artillery is moving along the path of increasing power and caliber, improving ammunition and sighting devices. The pinnacle of this development was the 100-mm MT-12 (2A29) “Rapier” anti-tank smoothbore gun with an increased muzzle velocity and an effective firing range of up to 1,500 m. The gun can fire the 9M117 “Kastet” anti-tank missile, capable of penetrating armor up to thick behind dynamic protection. 660 mm.

The towed PT 2A45M Sprut-B, which is in service with the Russian Federation, also has even greater armor penetration. Behind dynamic protection, it is capable of hitting armor up to 770 mm thick. Russian self-propelled artillery in this segment is represented by the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled gun, which has recently entered service with paratroopers.

Mortars

Modern Russian artillery is unthinkable without mortars of various purposes and calibers. Russian models of this class of weapons are extremely effective means of suppression, destruction and fire support. The troops have the following types of mortar weapons:

• Automatic 2B9M "Cornflower" (82 mm).
• 2B14-1 “Tray” (82 mm).
• Mortar complex 2S12 “Sani” (120 mm).
• Self-propelled 2S4 “Tulpan” (240 mm).
• M-160 (160 mm) and M-240 (240 mm).

Characteristics and Features

If the “Tray” and “Sleigh” mortars repeat the designs of the Great Patriotic War models, then the “Cornflower” is a fundamentally new system. It is equipped with automatic reloading mechanisms, allowing it to fire at an excellent rate of fire of 100-120 rounds per minute (compared to 24 rounds per minute for the Tray mortar).

The Russian artillery can rightfully be proud of the Tulip self-propelled mortar, which is also an original system. In the stowed position, its 240-mm barrel is mounted on the roof of an armored tracked chassis; in the combat position, it rests on a special plate resting on the ground. In this case, all operations are performed using a hydraulic system.

Coastal troops in the Russian Federation as a branch of independent forces of the Navy were formed in 1989. The basis of its firepower is made up of mobile missile and artillery systems:

• "Redoubt" (rocket).
• 4K51 "Rubezh" (missile).
• 3K55 "Bastion" (missile).
• 3K60 "Bal" (rocket).
• A-222 "Bereg" (artillery 130 mm).

These complexes are truly unique and pose a real threat to any enemy fleet. The newest "Bastion" has been in combat duty since 2010, equipped with Onyx/Yakhont hypersonic missiles. During the Crimean events, several “Bastions”, demonstratively placed on the peninsula, thwarted plans for a “show of force” by the NATO fleet.

Russia's newest coastal defense artillery, the A-222 Bereg, operates effectively against small-sized high-speed vessels moving at a speed of 100 knots (180 km/h), medium surface ships (within 23 km from the complex), and ground targets.

Heavy artillery as part of the Coastal Forces is always ready to support powerful complexes: the Giatsint-S self-propelled gun, the Giatsint-B howitzer gun, the Msta-B howitzer gun, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, and MLRS.

Multiple launch rocket systems

Since the Second World War, Russian rocket artillery, as the legal successor of the USSR, has a powerful group of MLRS. In the 50s, the 122 mm 40-barrel BM-21 Grad system was created. The Russian Ground Forces have 4,500 such systems.

The BM-21 Grad became the prototype of the Grad-1 system, created in 1975 to equip tank and motorized rifle regiments, as well as the more powerful 220-mm Uragan system for army artillery units. This line of development was continued by the long-range Smerch system with 300-mm projectiles and the new Prima divisional MLRS with an increased number of guides and increased-power rockets with a detachable warhead.

Procurement is underway for a new Tornado MLRS, a bi-caliber system mounted on the MAZ-543M chassis. In the Tornado-G variant, it fires 122-mm rockets from the Grad MLRS, being three times more effective than the latter. In the Tornado-S version, designed to fire 300-mm rockets, its combat effectiveness coefficient is 3-4 times higher than that of the Smerch. The Tornado hits targets with a salvo and single high-precision rockets.

Flak

Russian anti-aircraft artillery is represented by the following self-propelled small-caliber systems:

• Quad self-propelled gun "Shilka" (23 mm).
• Self-propelled twin installation "Tunguska" (30 mm).
• Self-propelled twin launcher "Pantsir" (30 mm).
• Towed twin unit ZU-23 (2A13) (23 mm).

The self-propelled guns are equipped with a radio instrument system that provides target acquisition and automatic tracking and generation of guidance data. Automatic aiming of guns is carried out using hydraulic drives. "Shilka" is exclusively an artillery system, while "Tunguska" and "Pantsir" are also armed with anti-aircraft missiles.

We can hardly imagine a battlefield without the “god of war” - cannon artillery. In World War II, it was artillery fire, and not bombs and small arms fire, that accounted for the largest number of casualties. However, since then guided missiles have come onto the scene, and strike aircraft have begun to play a significant role. How does field artillery fit into new military concepts?

PzH2000: German style. The PzH2000 armored howitzer manufactured by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is considered one of the most advanced self-propelled guns in the world based on all its indicators.

In 2013, among the news of the Russian military-industrial complex, one of the notable events was the presentation of promising Russian self-propelled artillery systems. It was reported that at the Russian Arms EXPO exhibition in Nizhny Tagil, two new products were presented - a deeply modernized 152-mm self-propelled howitzer 2S19M2 and the long-awaited Coalition-SV. The modernized Msta-S (2S19M2) is equipped with a programmable set of loading mechanisms, a modernized guidance and fire control system, which made it possible, in particular, to increase the system’s rate of fire to ten rounds per minute (which is comparable to the rate of fire of one of the most advanced self-propelled guns to date - the German 155 mm PzH2000).

Faster on wheels

As for the “Coalition-SV” - the long-awaited ultra-long-range self-propelled howitzer - little is known about it, but the main thing is that the system will still be single-barrel, unlike the prototype shown back in 2006 (and which graced the cover of one from the “PM” numbers). The firing range will reach 70 km, and it is planned to use some new ammunition, corrected according to GLONASS coordinates.

It is clear where technological progress is heading. Barrel artillery is trying to keep up with the innovations of modern warfare by means of instant counter-battery warfare and reconnaissance systems that make it possible to identify enemy artillery positions almost online and deliver a neutralizing strike.

For this purpose, the range and rate of fire are increased, and the accuracy of the ammunition is increased. A self-propelled artillery mount must quickly complete its task, inflicting maximum damage to the target and perform a counter-fire maneuver as quickly as possible. An interesting point was the presentation of the Coalition-SV in two versions - one on a tracked platform (presumably on the promising Armata platform), the other on a KamAZ wheeled vehicle chassis.

The latter option is reminiscent of one of the newest Western artillery systems - the Swedish Archer self-propelled gun, which is based on a three-axle Volvo A30D chassis. Equipped with a fully automatic loading system, the Swedish gun (155 mm FH77 howitzer) is capable of firing 20 shells in 2.5 minutes and leaving a position at a speed of up to 70 km/h, which is inaccessible to tracked vehicles.

Let's leave the guns at home

Despite the fact that barrel artillery weapons are being created and improved in almost all militarily developed countries of the world, discussions have been ongoing in military science for several decades about the future of this type of weapon. Already the tactics of the German blitzkrieg provided for the actual abandonment of self-propelled and towed artillery systems: German strategists relied on the rapid introduction of tank forces into the breakthrough and their advancement to the maximum distance deep into the enemy’s defenses with the support of aviation. At the same time, World War II became the finest hour of cannon artillery, which played a huge role, for example, during the siege of cities or the suppression of defense in depth.

Subsequently, the question of the advisability of cannon artillery for the American army, which, as is known, participates in conflicts exclusively far from its own territory, became especially acute. The Americans relied on the development of CAS - close air support for troops fighting on the ground - and after World War II they decisively reduced the number of artillery barrels in service.

British-made M777 towed howitzer
It is lightweight and can be transported using a helicopter or tiltrotor.

The apotheosis of this approach was the landing of thousands of troops of the US Army's 10th Mountain Division in Mazar-i-Sharif (Afghanistan) on November 25 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. This group was not assigned a single artillery piece for fire support. They were to conduct all combat operations exclusively with the help of small arms and air support.

It is clear that in conditions of a highly mobile war, especially in the absence of a front line, it is quite difficult for artillery to keep up with lightly armed ground forces, but, for example, for attack helicopters this does not pose any problem at all. In addition, guns - both towed and especially self-propelled - have considerable weight and dimensions, and transporting them to the other side of the world is a separate and expensive logistics problem.

Experiments with mortars

However, everyone, including the American military, understands that the conditions of the conflict in Afghanistan cannot be considered a model for all times. A large group of military personnel can rely only on small arms only when their own or allied aviation completely dominates the air (and the enemy does not have or no longer has an effective air defense system) and when there is a large group of friendly forces somewhere nearby, ready to help.

If for some reason the aviation does not keep up (for example, it is busy in another operation), you have to rely on your own strength. To ensure that these forces still existed, the American command tried to more widely introduce mortars, both light and 120 mm, instead of guns and howitzers. However, the same Afghan experience showed the dubiousness of such a decision: during Operation Anaconda (the assault on the Tora Bora complex in 2002), American troops had a hard time, especially when the Taliban rained down fire on them from the Soviet 122-mm howitzer D-30. The radius of action of the gun was twice the radius of action of 120-mm mortars. In addition, the accuracy of fire from mortars is significantly inferior to that of conventional guns.

Already in Iraq, a kind of renaissance of artillery took place - in battles with the Iraqi army, which was armed much more seriously than the Taliban. In Iraq, 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled guns were actively used, the effectiveness and rate of fire of which was noticeably increased with the help of improved automation and the work of reconnaissance units that provided fire adjustments. In particular, according to American data, during the assault on Baghdad, the artillery of the 3rd Infantry Division alone destroyed about 500 vehicles, 67 fortified points and up to 3,000 enemy troops.

Air guns

Since a complete abandonment of artillery is not possible, especially if the enemy is not lightly armed militants, one of the directions for improving modern artillery is to lighten it with an eye to air mobility. In particular, the already mentioned Swedish Archer self-propelled gun on a wheeled platform is designed to fit into the dimensions of the cargo compartment of the new A400M military transport aircraft.

Another example of movement in the same direction was the M777 towed howitzer manufactured by the British BAE Systems. This 155-mm gun, which replaced the American-made M198 howitzer in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, is smaller in size and 42% lighter than its predecessor with comparable parameters.

The M777 weighs just over 4 tons and can be transported both on a truck and on aircraft: the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor and the CH-47 helicopter. Such parameters are achieved through the use of titanium as a structural material. The howitzer is equipped with a modern fire control system, which ensures that the weapon quickly determines its own coordinates in space and aims at the target, as a result of which the M777 can be deployed to fire as soon as possible after unloading from the transport vehicle.

Luxury projectile

Of course, the effectiveness of a gun depends not only on high mobility and a perfect fire control system, but also on the properties of the ammunition. Both Archer and M777 are compatible with the XM982 Excalibur 155mm guided active-rocket projectile. The projectile has a bottom gas generator, which creates jet thrust and makes it possible to increase the firing range to 60 km. Excalibur is equipped with a combined control system - inertial and GPS coordinates. This precision-guided munition has a circular deflection of only 10 m (compared to a minimum of 150 m for the most accurate conventional rounds).

Nothing is known for sure about the Russian analogue - a projectile guided by a global positioning system (in our case GLONASS) and developed for the SV Coalition, however, Russia is armed with guided projectiles of the Krasnopol type (152 and 155 mm) and " Whalers" (120 and 122 mm). At the final stage of the flight, the trajectory is corrected using aerodynamic control surfaces, but correction requires laser illumination of the target. In other words, even if a gun is firing at a target that is out of sight of the gun crew, someone must get within line of sight of the target and aim the laser beam at it. This method of guidance, in addition to everything, unmasks reconnaissance assets.

So, guided or adjustable ammunition is the way that should help cannon artillery maintain its place on the modern battlefield, eliminating its disadvantage of not being very accurate compared to guided missiles and laser-guided bombs. The problem, however, is the too high cost of guided ammunition, and this in turn deprives artillery of such a beneficial advantage as the low cost of shots. The cost of one Excalibur-type projectile is $85,000, while “regular ammunition” costs about $300.

While for the Americans and their allies the question of the advisability of using cannon artillery was especially relevant in connection with the “expeditionary” style of operation of their forces, for Russia it has never been so pressing. Artillery has always played an important role in the strategy and tactics of the domestic armed forces, but, be that as it may, its further development cannot be carried out aside from the changes that are taking place in the military-technical sphere these days. The point is that the improvement of guns and ammunition should be carried out in close connection with the development of information systems that cover all participants in combat operations on the ground and in the air and make it possible to obtain intelligence data online and instantly use it to deliver precise strikes.