Russia's Kalashnikov Concern says its Krona short-range air defence system has completed preliminary tests that ran from spring to autumn this year, Defense Express reports, citing Russian media and the company's director general, Alan Lushnikov. The system is meant mainly to protect critical sites from Ukrainian long-range drones.
According to the company, Krona is now moving to a prototype batch and could start state tests by the end of the year, but it is not ready for serial production.
Defense Express says Krona is not a new design but a renamed version of the Sosna system, which was meant to succeed the Strela-10 but never reached Russian troops. Russia presented an export version, Krona-E, last year, the outlet says.
