VERSAILLES, France — KNDS France has detailed the operational capabilities of its KATANA 155mm precision-guided artillery munition (PGM), featuring a multi-mode guidance architecture capable of delivering sub-meter strike accuracy (<1 m CEP) in dynamic combat environments. Designed to provide organic precision strike capabilities for 155mm 52-caliber artillery platforms like the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, KATANA enables field artillery units to neutralize high-value stationary, relocatable, and moving targets at extended standoff ranges exceeding 45 kilometers.
The KATANA munition integrates a multi-mode guidance package combining GNSS (GPS/Galileo) receiver technology, a jam-resistant Inertial Navigation System (INS), and a Semi-Active Laser (SAL) terminal seeker head. Flight trajectory corrections are executed in real time via a nose-mounted Canard Actuation System (CAS), allowing the projectile to continuously shape its trajectory and execute high-angle terminal dives onto pinpoint target coordinates. This precision minimizes collateral damage while drastically reducing the ammunition volume required to defeat hardened assets and mobile tactical threats.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: KNDS FRANCE KATANA 155MM PRECISION-GUIDED MUNITION
* System Classification: 155mm High-Precision Guided Artillery Ammunition (PGM)
* Prime Contractor & Manufacturer: KNDS France / Nexter Systems (Versailles, France)
* Operational Compatibility: Standard NATO 155mm/39, 45, and 52-caliber artillery systems (CAESAR, PzH 2000, Archer, M109)
* Mass & Physical Dimensions:
* Caliber: 155 mm (STANAG 4425 compliant)
* Combat Weight: ~45.6 kg
* Total Length: ≤1,000 mm
* Flight & Range Performance Envelope:
* Maximum Effective Range: >45 km (from 52-caliber barrels using Base Bleed propulsion)
* Accuracy / Circular Error Probable (CEP): Sub-meter (<1 m CEP) with terminal Semi-Active Laser (SAL) designation; decametric/metric accuracy under GNSS/INS guidance
* Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC) Suite:
* Multi-Mode Guidance: GNSS (GPS/Galileo) + Inertial Navigation System (INS) + Semi-Active Laser (SAL) terminal homing
* Flight Control: Nose-mounted Canard Actuation System (CAS) for active trajectory maneuvering and steep dive angles
* Electronic Warfare Resilience: Anti-jamming GNSS receiver and autonomous INS fallback navigation
* Warhead & Fuzing Architecture: High-efficiency blast-fragmentation warhead with multi-function programmable fuze (impact/point detonation, delayed detonation, and proximity/airburst modes)
* Target Engagement Spectrum: Moving armored combatants, reinforced bunkers, enemy artillery batteries, C4ISR nodes, and high-value tactical assets
