Krona Short-Range Air Defense System: Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern has started testing its new Krona air defence system. What makes this stand out is the speed. The company says Krona reached the testing stage in less than two years after the first research work began. That is a very quick timeline for a defence system like this. The fast progress seems to come from real battlefield lessons gained during operations against enemy drones.
Kalashnikov chief Alan Lushnikov said, “Less than two years have passed from the research and development stage to the creation of a completely new, unique, highly automated combat system. This has become possible thanks to the extensive experience we gained in countering enemy drones during the special military operation.”
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Krona is not just one launcher sitting alone in a field. It is being built as a full short-range air defence network. That means it joins together radar and other target-finding tools, a command system, and firing units that can be placed on vehicles or kept in fixed positions.
How the System Works Against Drones?
The system is made for short-range fighting at low altitude. Public details say Krona carries 10 ready missiles. Its load is mixed. It uses six Sosna-R missiles and four 9M333 missiles. This gives the system two different ways to attack airborne threats. The Sosna-R uses beam-riding guidance, while the 9M333 uses optical guidance. Using both in one setup can give the crew more options when dealing with small aerial targets that may be hard to track or destroy with just one kind of missile.
The system’s engagement range is said to be from 1 km to 6 km. Its altitude coverage starts at about 0.03 km and goes up to 3.5 km. Krona also has full 360-degree coverage around it, which means it can watch and fire in every direction. Another important detail is how fast it can get ready, reported Army recognition. Kalashnikov says the system can move from travel mode to combat readiness in about 10 minutes.
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Built to Protect Important Places
Krona is not being pushed as a long-range shield for huge areas. Its main job is closer protection. Kalashnikov says the system is meant to defend important government sites, city infrastructure, critical facilities, storage areas holding special cargo, and structures along major communication routes.
The battery setup shows the same idea. The Krona-E version is described as a system that can include up to six close-range combat vehicles or combat modules, along with radar support and a command post. These parts stay linked through information-sharing lines so one command centre can manage the fight while several firing units cover different points.
