The first successful flying tests of the new missile technology – the Ukrainian Neptun ground-launched cruise missile, which can accurately hit ground and naval targets, have been carried out today.
This was reported by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov after the tests.
According to him, this is a solely Ukrainian development completed by designers of the State Enterprise “State Kyiv Design Bureau “Luch” in cooperation with other state and private defense enterprises of Ukraine. “During the successful tests, the flight characteristics and operation of the missile systems were checked”, – he explained.
Mr. Turchynov also informed that the NSDC of Ukraine, which coordinates the national missile program, set the task “to develop not only ground-launched cruise missile systems but also sea- and air-launched”. “The range of our cruise missiles and their combat equipment do not contradict the international agreements signed by Ukraine for such type of weapons”, – he added.
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 “This is a crucial event for Ukraine, because after the total disarmament of the Ukrainian army in accordance with the Budapest Memorandum, not a single missile was left in the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, – Mr. Turchynov noticed.
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“Today’s tests have opened a new stage of the missile program, according to which our Armed Forces must receive powerful high-performance cruise missiles that can accurately strike hostile targets at great distances”, – Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine emphasized summarizing that missile systems of such class “are an important deterrent against the aggressor”.
According to the Defence Blog’s source, the new Neptun is a subsonic cruise anti-ship missile based on the combat-proven Soviet-made Kh-35 missile. The new Neptun missile will use inertial guidance with active radar seeker to find its target. The missile is guided to its target at the final leg of the trajectory by commands fed from the active radar homing head and the radio altimeter.
The new Neptun missile will be integrated into coastal defence cruise missile launcher and modern missile boats.
