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Laser-guided artillery rounds have been around a while. The Soviets were using laser-guided 240mm heavy mortar rounds in Afghanistan. https://www.tandfonline.c

Laser-guided artillery rounds have been around a while. The Soviets were using laser-guided 240mm heavy mortar rounds in Afghanistan. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13518040500354992 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1351804050035499... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krasnopol_(weapon_system) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krasnopol_(weapon_system) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M712_Copperhead https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M712_Copperhead

esseph 1y ago
I was one of the first non special operations troops to use a modern infantry-company sized drone (small, low cost) to guide conventional and guided artillery in 2008-9 for the US. Laser guided Excalibur rounds didn't come out until much later, same for the laser guided jdams. And the cost of those is much higher, plus logistical an deployment cost, than a FPV drone. Edit: I also don't know anybody that ever fired a copperhead round in anger. That was very much a product of 80s and 90s doctrine to counter Russian armor.
- tguvot 1y ago
  there are now laser/gps guided mortars. probably still more expensive than drone but easier to deploy
  - esseph 1y ago
    Yep, 120mms I think. You won't find them with light infantry, but you will with Cav / Mech units.
    - tguvot 1y ago
      special forces and other unspecified units: https://breakingdefense.com/2024/02/iron-sting-an-exclusive-look-inside-israelis-new-precision-mortar/ https://breakingdefense.com/2024/02/iron-sting-an-exclusive-...
      - esseph 1y ago
        Sorry I'm talking US specifically. To my knowledge there still isn't a laser guided mortar in the US inventory with dual mode laser terminal guidance. HEGM project was cancelled in 2018.
        tguvot 1y ago
        well, if usa will get a bundle of iron dome, iron fist and iron sting, it will get a cool 30% discount
  - ponector 1y ago
    GPS guided munitions like Excalibur are useless against peer adversary. Costs as much as 100 regular rounds and as 200+ FPV drones but has zero accuracy thanks to EW and jamming.
    - esseph 1y ago
      ... Not quite. Local airborne EW platforms can relay GPS signal. Combined with Inertial Navigation System reduces the CEP. Laser terminal guidance gets it on point. The US has a lot of work to do in EW - it also has done a lot of work to prepare for some of these scenarios.
      - ponector 1y ago
        And yet, more than a year ago: The US gave up sending Ukraine Excalibur guided artillery shells costing $100,000 because they rarely hit their target, report says.
        esseph 1y ago
        I mean, the US isn't flying our EW aircraft over Ukraine. So yeah that is in line with what I have said. US doctrine is based in air dominance. Also, most Excalibur rounds do not have laser guidance kits. Those are much newer and more expensive. We may have given Ukraine a handful, if that. Still requires laser designation by airborne or land forces, but can give you excellent accuracy even in completely denied GPS environments and against mobile targets.

esseph 1y ago

I was one of the first non special operations troops to use a modern infantry-company sized drone (small, low cost) to guide conventional and guided artillery in 2008-9 for the US. Laser guided Excalibur rounds didn't come out until much later, same for the laser guided jdams. And the cost of those is much higher, plus logistical an deployment cost, than a FPV drone. Edit: I also don't know anybody that ever fired a copperhead round in anger. That was very much a product of 80s and 90s doctrine to counter Russian armor.

tguvot 1y ago
there are now laser/gps guided mortars. probably still more expensive than drone but easier to deploy
- esseph 1y ago
  Yep, 120mms I think. You won't find them with light infantry, but you will with Cav / Mech units.
  - tguvot 1y ago
    special forces and other unspecified units: https://breakingdefense.com/2024/02/iron-sting-an-exclusive-look-inside-israelis-new-precision-mortar/ https://breakingdefense.com/2024/02/iron-sting-an-exclusive-...
    - esseph 1y ago
      Sorry I'm talking US specifically. To my knowledge there still isn't a laser guided mortar in the US inventory with dual mode laser terminal guidance. HEGM project was cancelled in 2018.
      - tguvot 1y ago
        well, if usa will get a bundle of iron dome, iron fist and iron sting, it will get a cool 30% discount
- ponector 1y ago
  GPS guided munitions like Excalibur are useless against peer adversary. Costs as much as 100 regular rounds and as 200+ FPV drones but has zero accuracy thanks to EW and jamming.
  - esseph 1y ago
    ... Not quite. Local airborne EW platforms can relay GPS signal. Combined with Inertial Navigation System reduces the CEP. Laser terminal guidance gets it on point. The US has a lot of work to do in EW - it also has done a lot of work to prepare for some of these scenarios.
    - ponector 1y ago
      And yet, more than a year ago: The US gave up sending Ukraine Excalibur guided artillery shells costing $100,000 because they rarely hit their target, report says.
      - esseph 1y ago
        I mean, the US isn't flying our EW aircraft over Ukraine. So yeah that is in line with what I have said. US doctrine is based in air dominance. Also, most Excalibur rounds do not have laser guidance kits. Those are much newer and more expensive. We may have given Ukraine a handful, if that. Still requires laser designation by airborne or land forces, but can give you excellent accuracy even in completely denied GPS environments and against mobile targets.