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In order to complement the official views as expressed in the previous pages, MT offered a number of selected industrial companies with significant activities in the artillery sector the possibility to discuss their ideas and plans. The contributions by those companies who felt that they had something to say in this regard are presented below.
CILAS/KBP
KRASNOPOL Comes To France
The French-Russian co-operation between CILAS and the KBP Design Bureau on the KRASNOPOL laser-guided artillery projectile has just passed a very significant milestone with the successful conclusion of a series of live firing tests in France.
Back in 1996, CILAS and the KBP Design Bureau launched a co-operation project including the French company's DHY-307 ground-based laser target designator and the Russian Bureau's KRASNOPOL 155mm laserguided shell, with the final aim of developing an universal weapon system that could be offered everywhere in the world to armies equipped with 155mm artillery guns. The two first steps of this programme where:
- Adaptation and compatibility tests between the DHY-307 designator and the KRASNOPOL's laser tracker;
- Live fires with KRASNOPOL rounds guided by the DHY-307.
These two first steps were completed during 1997 in Russia, and have now been followed by a final step involving live firing tests carried out in France with the 155mm guns used by the French Army.
The tests were carried out at the beginning of October at the French MoD/DCE firing range of Bourges-ETBS, under a contract between the MoD (SPART/Artillery Services) and CILAS and with the active participation of KBP. After a preliminary phase involving several different experimental trials and simulated firing actions, seven live KRASNOPOL rounds were fired by a French Army TR-F1 gun, these being guided by the DHY-307 laser designator. Six of seven shells achieved a direct impact on the different assigned targets (tanks or concrete walls), with the total destruction of the targets as shown by the accompanying photos.
Based on these highly successful results, co-operation between CILAS and KBP is sure to continue and to offer to the world's land forces an ideal tool for high-accuracy "surgical" fire actions, at a low cost and without the risk of collateral damages.
Denel Ordnance
Leader in Long-Range Artillery Systems and Customised Turret Solutions G6 - The G6...