EM&E Group evolves artillery with its guided ammunition: ALKON 122 and ALKON 122 LASER

In contemporary combat scenarios, the difference between strategic success and operational failure lies almost exclusively in precision. Conventional artillery and rocket saturation systems face an unsustainable logistical and economic challenge today if they intend to rely on massive volume of fire to neutralize their targets. In this context, high-precision guided ammunition has established itself as the most disruptive factor in contemporary military doctrine, completely transforming logistics and operational effectiveness.

Historically, achieving a strategic objective required the massive launch of conventional projectiles, involving high economic costs and an elevated risk of collateral damage. Today, the Spanish company EM&E Group possesses full capabilities to convert conventional ammunition stockpiles into high-precision smart weapons.

ALKON is EM&E Group’s family of trajectory correction kits, emerging as the definitive technological answer to optimize indirect fire capabilities. Thanks to its advanced navigation system, ALKON is extremely accurate, thus allowing the repurposing of existing ammunition without having to manufacture missiles or smart projectiles from scratch – something that would entail exorbitant costs and long delivery lead times. Furthermore, the fact that ALKON minimizes the circular error probable (CEP) ensures that targets are neutralized with the fewest number of shots, thereby contributing to turning missions into highly effective operations while avoiding potential collateral damage.

This technological leap by ALKON is achieved thanks to an advanced active control section that corrects the trajectory through steerable aerodynamic surfaces during flight, guided by a hybrid navigation system that combines the GPS/GNSS satellite signal with a robust inertial system immune to electronic countermeasures.

Logistical efficiency and standard precision

The ALKON 122 system is a universal guidance kit designed for direct integration into standard 122 mm rockets (Type 9M22U), achieving a CEP of less than 15 meters. Based on satellite navigation (GNSS), this module integrates advanced sensors, a guidance algorithm, and an active aerodynamic control section.

For high-intensity scenarios where the electromagnetic spectrum is compromised, EM&E Group has developed an evolution of this system called ALKON 122 LASER, which offers a dual-guidance configuration by combining GNSS navigation with a semi-active laser (SAL) seeker. This variant is designed to defeat enemy countermeasures and ensure mission success under the most hostile conditions, achieving a CEP of less than 5 meters thanks to the use of the SAL seeker. The ALKON 122 LASER also features jamming immunity, ensuring a direct impact even in satellite signal-denied environments (GNSS-denied). Additionally, it includes a SABOT for transport and a side connector for programming.

Ultimately, the ALKON 122 and its laser version represent an immediate tactical advantage. By acting as a force multiplier, these kits enable end-users to transition from a saturation fire doctrine to a surgical strike doctrine. This reduces logistical costs, minimizes the logistical risk of transporting tons of conventional ammunition, and ensures a decisive technological edge in the modern theater of operations. Furthermore, beyond its operational benefits, the true strategic value of the ALKON family lies in its production model; since it is entirely developed under the technological autonomy of EM&E Group, this system shields armed forces against the vulnerabilities of a global market where component shortages and reliance on external suppliers threaten nations' defensive capabilities.