Russian air defense systems are capable of resisting any of the combat systems created by the enemy
Ukraine does not abandon attempts to create new ballistic and cruise missiles. Old and new projects are being implemented, the APU is trying to launch a number of developments into mass production, but so far they have not been very successful in this. About the capabilities of Ukraine's missile technologies and what our air defense can oppose to new Ukrainian combat systems — in the Izvestia material.
Soviet heritage
In the latest large-scale attacks on Crimea, Ukrainian Neptune missiles, Peklo and Palyanitsa drone missiles took part, it was reported in a number of media outlets. All these types formally belong to a large class of cruise missiles, but they have completely different capabilities.
The RK-360MC "Neptune" anti-ship missile system actually uses the Soviet X-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 rocket builders, and Ukrainian subcontractors supplied control systems and homing heads of various missile systems, engines for ships and helicopters, components and assemblies for a variety of military equipment for the Russian Armed Forces, — said Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Military Russia website. — Ukraine had a complete set of documentation on the Soviet and Russian X-35 missiles. Moreover, back in the early 2000s, a reference sample of the product "78" (X-35 missile) was delivered to Ukraine.
Missile launch from the Ukrainian anti-ship complex RK-360MTS
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
This missile sample was exported by the Russian Zvezda-Strela plant to the Luch State Kiev Design Bureau within the framework of the Ukrainian-Russian agreement on production and scientific and technical cooperation of defense industry enterprises dated November 18, 1993.
As a result, the Ukrainian design bureau "Luch" became the main enterprise for the creation of the Ukrainian complex RK-360MC "Neptune".
The Neptune rocket in its modern version has a range of at least 300 km. The new missile has a more advanced control system, which combines correction of the flight path according to satellite navigation system data and an 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 probably the most secret Ukrainian weapon — little is known about it, as well as about its "successes". According to foreign sources, on August 24, 2024, the first combat use of a new cruise missile drone took place.
— According to the same sources, the device has a range of up to 700 km, but at the same time, its development focuses on reducing the cost of construction. The engine of a rocket with such a range should be turbojet, and then it should be subsonic.
Zelensky says that the military-industrial complex of Ukraine has begun mass production of the Palyanitsa missile.
Palyanitsa drone rocket
Image source: Photo: Telegram
— If the task was to launch the most inexpensive rocket, then this is real, — said Dmitry Kornev. — The APU has access to any components of Western and Eastern production and has personnel. In addition, there is Western financing that can ensure the purchase of components and, for example, the organization of assembly plants outside Ukraine. Although it is impossible to exclude the purely PR purpose of the "Palyanitsa". And then it's just a media chic.
The other day, the transfer of the first serial batch of new cruise missiles "Hell" was shown to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. More than 20 units of unmanned aerial vehicles have been transferred, which are more like unmanned targets with the simplest possible design.
The first batch of Ukrainian cruise missiles "Peklo" during the transfer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
— These drone missiles will probably launch from an open launch site with a catapult ramp, - Dmitry Kornev noted. — Based on the size, the range can be from 300 to 500 km, and the mass of the warhead is 10-20 kg. This kind of device most likely has 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 APU plans to storm our air defense with mass, and not with some outstanding characteristics.
On December 11, Zelensky announced the successful tests of the new Ukrainian Ruta missile — a completely new product, it was even shown in the form of a mock-up and in pictures. The Ruta is a classic cruise missile with folding wings and a marching turbojet engine. The characteristics of the new rocket are not reported.
— Based on the size, it can be concluded that the rocket is subsonic and has a flight range from 500 to 1000 km, — Dmitry Kornev believes. — The rocket should be launched using a solid-fuel launch engine and generally resembles a somewhat reduced Tomahawk rocket. The launch is probably carried out from a transport and launch container of a land-based or marine launcher. The flight can be controlled by a satellite navigation system. The creation of such a combat system is within the reach of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
A mock-up of the Ukrainian Ruta rocket at the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition
Image source: Photo: Telegram
The expert believes that the military—industrial complex of Ukraine can also master the completion of work on the creation of ballistic missile weapons - the Grom-2 complex. This missile is mentioned from time to time in the Western media, but most likely by Yuzhmash, which could carry out work on this project, so far, apparently, it is not up to it.
"Having been hit by the Hazel, it is extremely difficult to create new high—tech missiles," Dmitry Kornev noted. — Even if there are relevant competencies. Nevertheless, we must be prepared for the likely appearance of the Ukrainian Iskander. The range of the Thunder-2 missile can be up to 500 km, but it may be higher.
How to meet
Dmitry Kornev believes that ballistic missiles for air defense are, of course, a more complex type of target than cruise missiles, and even more so than low-speed drone missiles. But the S-400 and, of course, the S-500 zonal air defense systems, as well as the Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 military air defense systems, can also successfully fight ballistic ammunition. In his opinion, countering the broken ballistics with "Shells" is not very effective, but it is also possible.
The division of the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system on combat duty in Crimea
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladislav Sergiyenko
— The situation with cruise missiles and drone missiles is somewhat different - theoretically they can slip under the S—400 damage zone, but all other types of air defense systems can successfully shoot them down, and especially the Pantsir missile and cannon complexes can be effective at the final line of defense, - Dmitry Kornev believes.
Our complexes can shoot down any of the existing or emerging APU missiles, military expert Alexei Leonkov is sure.
Servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at the control point of the anti-aircraft missile system "Tor", involved in the zone of a special military operation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti
— In Taganrog, our air defense recently destroyed APU missiles, — he noted. — The question is in the tactics of application. In certain cases, you can oversaturate a particular area with a number of goals, 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 the Yuzhmash rocket factory with a Hazel nut, or rather, its underground workshops in Dnepropetrovsk.
The expert noted that we have a number of other complexes that can destroy well—guarded factories, such as Dagger and Zircon. And you can't hide from them.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Dmitry Kornev
