Ten times more: Ukraine has launched production of Neptune missiles with a longer range
Dozens or even hundreds of improved Neptune missiles, whose basic version sank the Russian cruiser Moskva, may appear in Ukraine.
According to Forbes, Ukrainian officials have informed their American counterparts that the production of Neptunes has increased tenfold. This means that the Ukrainian Armed Forces may soon have dozens – potentially hundreds – of missiles at their disposal.
It became known in December 2023 that the Ukrainian defense industry was developing a new missile modification, which Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk called the “long Neptune.”
The basic version of the Neptune was 5 meters long, had a warhead of about 150 kg and a range of 200 km. It is also equipped with a missile accelerator, turbofan engine and radar head, which helped the missile hit and sink the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva.
However, as time went on and more ships were hit, the Russians began to withdraw their fleet further and further from the Ukrainian coast. It became impossible for the Ukrainian Navy to hit their main anchorages – Sevastopol and Feodosia in Crimea, Novorossiysk in southern Russia.
Therefore, the Kyiv-based Luch Design Bureau created a “long Neptune” that has enough fuel to cover a distance of 320 km. In addition, the developers have improved the missile’s sight to make it better able to hit targets on land and at sea.
The “Long Neptune” struck for the first time in August, damaging a battery of S-400 air defense systems of the Russian Air Force in the temporarily occupied Crimea. And during a massive raid last month, the Long Neptune struck four Russian ships in Sevastopol, as well as port facilities and an oil depot.
