Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024

Ukraine's Defense Ministry named strengthening air defense, including the development of Coral anti-aircraft missiles, among its priorities for 2024. The post Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024 appeared first on Euromaidan Press.

Dec 1, 2023 - 16:36

Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine named strengthening of air defense, including the development of Coral anti-aircraft missiles among the priorities for 2024, Liga reports.

On the air of the national telethon, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said that in 2024, attention will be paid to the production of air defense equipment – from conventional portable surface-to-air missile systems to air defense systems with a range of more than a hundred kilometers. This may include the indigenous Coral SAM that is being developed.

Back in June 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian “Luch” design bureau presented a new guided anti-aircraft missile, Coral, for medium-range systems.

“Coral should work against ballistic targets. Of course, not all classes, but it must work on ballistic targets,” Luch Design Bureau head Oleh Korostelev said at the time.

The ballistic targets are harder to shoot down due to their higher speed.

Coral anti-air missile developed by the Luch design bureau. Photo via Liga

According to Korostelev, the missile under development will be equipped with the Onyx active homing head from the Ukrainian company Radionix.

In 2021, developers claimed that the Coral missile had a weight of 300 kg with a 25 kg warhead and a speed of 3600 km/h. The Luch design bureau initially stated a 30-kilometer range, later revised to 100 kilometers in 2023, as Havriliuk mentioned.

Korostelev also emphasized that the basis for the creation of the new anti-aircraft missile was “70% complete”

Korostelev also underscored that the foundation for the development of the new anti-aircraft missile is “70% complete.” This includes the detection and target designation stations, core missile components, software for the system, and the command and launch vehicle platforms.

Bolstering air defenses stands as a top priority for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry due to frequent Russian air attacks, including missile strikes and explosive drone incursions into Ukrainian cities situated well behind the frontline.

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The post Ukrainian army may receive Coral domestic anti-air missiles in 2024 appeared first on Euromaidan Press.