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- Neptune's Shadow: What missile technologies the Ukrainian military-industrial complex possesses
Neptune's Shadow: What missile technologies the Ukrainian military-industrial complex possesses
Ukraine is not abandoning its attempts to create new missiles - ballistic and cruise missiles. Old and new projects are being implemented, and the AFU is trying to put a number of developments into mass production, but has not been very successful in this so far. The Izvestia article describes the capabilities of Ukraine's missile technologies and what our air defense can counter the new Ukrainian combat systems.
Soviet heritage
In the last large-scale attacks on Crimea took part Ukrainian missiles "Neptun", missile-drones "Peklo" and "Palyanitsa", reported in a number of media. All of the above types formally belong to the large class of cruise missiles, but have completely different capabilities.
The RK-360MC "Neptune" anti-ship missile system actually uses the Soviet Kh-35 missile, the production of an analog of which has been mastered by the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
- Until 2014, there was cooperation between Ukrainian and Russian missile builders, and Ukrainian allied companies supplied the Russian Armed Forces with control systems and homing heads of various missile systems, engines for ships and helicopters, components and assemblies for various military equipment," said Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Military Russia website. - Ukraine had a complete set of documentation on the Soviet and Russian Kh-35 missile. Moreover, back in the early 2000s, Ukraine was supplied with a reference sample of the product "78" (Kh-35 missile).
Missile launch from the Ukrainian anti-ship system RK-360MC
This model missile was exported by the Russian plant "Zvezda-Strela" to the state-owned Kiev design bureau "Luch" within the framework of the Ukrainian-Russian agreement on production and scientific and technical cooperation of defense industry enterprises of November 18, 1993.
As a result, the Ukrainian design bureau Luch became the lead enterprise for the development of the Ukrainian RK-360MC Neptun missile.
The Neptun missile in its modern version has a range of at least 300 kilometers. The new missile has a more advanced control system, which combines flight trajectory adjustment based on satellite navigation system data and active radar homing head, which is aimed at any radio-contrast target - a ship or some other object. Such a missile can be very versatile in terms of targets.
Ukrainian "secrets"
"Palyanitsa" is apparently the most secret Ukrainian weapon - little is known about it, as well as about its "successes." According to foreign sources, the first combat use of the new cruise missile drone took place on August 24, 2024.
- According to the same sources, the device has a range of up to 700 kilometers, but at the same time in its development is emphasized on reducing the cost of construction. The engine in a missile with such a range should be turbojet, and it should then be subsonic.
Zelensky claims that Ukraine's military-industrial complex has begun serial production of the Palyanitsa missile.
The drone rocket "Palianica"
- If the task was to produce the most inexpensive missile possible, then it is realistic," Dmytro Kornev said. - The AFU has access to any components of Western and Eastern production and has personnel. In addition, there is Western financing, which can ensure the purchase of components and, for example, the organization of assembly plants outside of Ukraine. Although one cannot rule out the purely PR appointment of "Palyanitsa". And then it's just a media chic.
The other day was shown the transfer of the first serial batch of new cruise missiles "Peklo" to the AFU. Over 20 units of unmanned aerial vehicles were handed over, which are more like unmanned targets with the simplest possible design.
The first batch of Ukrainian cruise missiles "Peklo" during the transfer to the AFU
- These drone missiles are probably launched from an open launch facility with a catapult ramp," Dmitry Kornev noted. - Based on the size, the range may be from 300 to 500 kilometers, and the mass of the warhead - 10-20 kg. This kind of device is likely to have a low subsonic speed and is equipped with a satellite navigation system. It can be seen that the design of the device is relatively simple and everything has been done to reduce its cost - probably, the AFU plans to assault our air defense by mass production, not by any outstanding characteristics.
On December 11, Zelensky announced the successful testing of the new Ukrainian missile "Ruta" - a completely new product, it was even shown in the form of a mockup and pictures. "Ruta" is a classic cruise missile with folding wings and a marching turbojet engine. Characteristics of the new missile are not reported.
- Based on its size, we can conclude that the missile is subsonic and has a range of 500 to 1,000 kilometers," Dmitry Kornev said. - The missile should be launched using a solid rocket motor and generally resembles a somewhat smaller Tomahawk missile. The launch is probably carried out from a transport and launch container of a land or sea launcher. The flight can be controlled by a satellite navigation system. The Ukrainian military-industrial complex can create such a combat system.
Mockup of Ukrainian Ruta missile at Eurosatory 2024 exhibition
The expert believes that the Ukrainian military-industrial complex can also cope with the completion of work on the development of ballistic missile weapons - the Grom-2 complex. This missile is occasionally mentioned in the Western media, but most likely Yuzhmash, which could work on this project, is probably not up to it yet.
- Having been hit by the Oreshnik, it is extremely difficult to create new high-tech missiles," said Dmitry Kornev. - Even if you have the appropriate competencies. Nevertheless, we should be prepared for the probable appearance of the Ukrainian Iskander. The range of the Grom-2 missile may be up to 500 kilometers, but it may be even higher.
What to meet
Dmitry Kornev believes that ballistic missiles are certainly a more difficult type of target for air defense than cruise missiles, and even more so than low-speed drone missiles. But ballistic munitions can be successfully countered by S-400 and, of course, S-500 zone SAMs, as well as Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 army SAMs. In his opinion, countering the penetrated ballistics with Pantsirs is not very effective, but it is also possible.
A division of the S-400 Triumf air defense missile system on combat duty in Crimea
- The situation with cruise missiles and drone missiles is somewhat different - they can theoretically slip under the S-400's kill zone, but all other types of SAMs can successfully shoot them down, and especially Pantsir missile and cannon systems can be effective against them at the final line of defense," Dmitry Kornev believes.
Our systems can shoot down any of the existing or emerging missiles of the AFU, military expert Alexei Leonkov believes.
Servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces in the control center of the Tor anti-aircraft missile system used in the zone of the special military operation
- In Taganrog, our air defense recently destroyed AFU missiles," he said. - The question is in the tactics of application. In certain cases it is possible to saturate this or that area with the number of targets, and some of them, of course, will get a chance to break through. It is clear that the danger of attacks with such weapons remains until the production sites are destroyed. Sooner or later we find them. Recently we struck with Oreshnik at the Yuzhmash missile plant, more precisely, at its underground workshops in Dnepropetrovsk.
The expert noted that we have a number of other complexes that can destroy well-guarded factories - these are Kinzhal and Zirkon. And it is impossible to hide from them.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
