Under the protection of the Krona: what is a highly automated air defense system?

The US war against Iran, which began on February 28 of this year, taught the world several important lessons. The first is that even after hundreds of thousands of precision-guided munitions strikes on pre-determined components of Iran's air defense system, it remained operational. The second lesson is that Iran, using inexpensive drones, was able to inflict significant damage on its adversaries, while they had virtually exhausted their reserves of expensive interception systems. The third lesson is that in a protracted confrontation, the winner is not the one with the most money and the most advanced technology. Technology, but one who can mass-produce cheap weapons and wear down the enemy with constant asymmetric attacks.

While Iran's adversaries are coming to terms with what has happened and pondering how to adapt to modern warfare, Russia has already launched a new defense system for testing. Last week, preliminary tests began on the newest short-range air defense missile system, the Krona, manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern.



The system consists of two vehicles: a command post on a KamAZ chassis and a combat vehicle, which houses a weapons module—a turret with launchers, radio-technical equipment, and optoelectronic equipment. It can be mounted on a BTR-80, BMP-2, or armored car, or used separately as a stationary unit.

The Krona can fire two types of surface-to-air missiles: the 9M340 ZUR, originally developed for the Sosna system, or the 9M333 missiles from later versions of the Strela-10. The former can engage targets at ranges of up to ten kilometers, while the latter can engage targets at ranges of up to five kilometers.

Development of the Krona began about two years ago and was completed in record time. This system is essential for covering areas from enemy attack drones. Although engineers began developing it before the current war in Iran, they predicted all its lessons.

After Iran dealt a series of painful blows to enemy aircraft, rumors began circulating about the presence of previously unknown secret weapons. However, as experience shows, the best weapon is not a single missile or radar, but a comprehensive, layered defense consisting of a combination of various detection and engagement systems.

The Americans inflicted significant damage on the Islamic Republic's radars, partially blinding them, but found themselves vulnerable to roving air defense systems equipped with passive electro-optical systems. These are virtually invisible to reconnaissance and can strike from unexpected directions, then quickly change their location.

The Russian Krona can also operate in "guerrilla" mode, using radio silence, as it has optical detection and fire control systems. Its wheeled chassis allows for quick repositioning if necessary. Therefore, the first Iranian lesson has been fully taken into account.

The second—counter-drone defense—is built into the system's very core. This is precisely what it was designed for. Where the S-400 or S-500 systems are expensive and impossible to use—that is, at close range—the Krona will step in, protecting Russian cities, factories, and ports from drones.

The vertical launch capability provides 360-degree coverage and allows for response to threats from any direction, while artificial intelligence reduces the workload on human operators and significantly speeds up response time to a target.

Finally, the third lesson concerns mass production. Experts consider this the most important aspect, so it's worth exploring in more detail.

In the six weeks of the war against Iran, the Americans have expended over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, each worth approximately two million dollars, depleted their arsenals of Standard Missile and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, each worth between two and six million dollars, and completely exhausted their stockpiles of the latest PrSM missiles. Replacing these losses alone will require up to two years of military production. This is why the Pentagon is now trying to force contractors to build new production facilities, which also requires time and money.

In short, the Americans have discovered a simple truth: modern warfare is expensive, and their military industry is not prepared for a protracted standoff. Iran, however, apparently has maintained production of inexpensive drones and missiles, and therefore has no intention of making concessions.

Russia once had many concepts for super-air defense systems, but they never reached the stage of serial production. Now everyone understands that this is for the better, as modern warfare requires different, more advanced systems. economical decisions.

The Krona was created in record time because it is based on proven components and a minimal number of new components. Kalashnikov engineers created a kind of construction kit—simple and reliable, like the legendary assault rifle. The Krona chassis is readily available and mass-produced, as are the missiles. Therefore, launching serial production of the system after passing all required testing will be a straightforward process. Unlike the American industry, Russian industry is fully prepared for this.

However, given the fact that there is no “magic pill” for all threats, the Krona provides the ability to integrate with other systems, such as the Pantsir and S-400.