Ukraine plans to buy three divisions of Neptune coastal missile system

Ukrainian magazine, Defense Express, quoting a director of the Pavlograd Chemical Plant Leonid Shiman, reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine has plan to buy three divisions of RK-360MC Neptune coastal defense system with R-360 cruise missiles.

As noted by the magazine, that the one Neptune division includes six USPU-360 launchers with 24 cruise missiles and added that state tests of the new coastal defense system should be completed in the second quarter.

The R-360 missile weighs 870 kg; the weight of its warhead is 150 kg; its launch range is up to 280 km and speed is about 900 km/h. It is able to get at a height of from 3 m to 10 m above the surface. The complex can simultaneously launch up to 24 missiles, i.e. a full salvo of 6 launchers, with an interval of launches in a salvo being from 3 to 5 seconds.

The complex can be located at a distance of up to 25 km from the coastline, and its deployment lasts up to 15 minutes.

The system can be closely integrated and adapted to a country’s adjacent weapons and command and control systems. This expands the defended area and enhances the total fighting capability of the force.

Last month, the newest Ukrainian RK-360MT Neptun coastal missile system made a successful test salvo launch of two R-360 cruise missiles from the designated area in the Odessa region to targets at the Alibey range.

As The National Interest previously reported, if successful, Neptune would be a key technical and symbolic milestone in Ukraine’s missile development program. At the same time, the Neptune project is an apt illustration of the complex challenges and uncertainties awaiting Kyiv on the path to military modernization.