Ukraine Debuts Upgraded Neptune Missile with 600-Mile Range
Ukraine has unveiled its upgraded Neptune cruise missile, a domestically produced long-range weapon with a range of over 600 miles, significantly exceeding the capabilities of the original.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Business Insider.
The R-360 Neptune is a subsonic missile developed by Ukrainian defense manufacturer Luch Design Bureau, launched from a mobile platform. It was originally designed as an anti-ship weapon based on the Soviet Kh-35, but was later upgraded to engage ground targets.
The original version had a range of about 200 miles, but after Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Kyiv began work on a significantly more powerful modification.
In March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the successful testing and combat use of the new version of the missile, named “Long Neptune.” It is capable of traveling up to 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), which exceeds the capabilities of Western counterparts transferred to Ukraine, and has no restrictions on use.
Ukraine has repeatedly used Neptune missiles in high-profile strikes, including against the cruiser Moskva, as well as to destroy air defense systems, oil depots, and other targets.
Moreover, amid restrictions on Western weapons, Kyiv is actively investing in its own drones and long-range missiles, which are already striking Russian bases, warehouses, energy, and logistics targets hundreds of miles from the front lines.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Ukraine officially unveiled the Flamingo cruise missile with a range of 3,000 km and announced the start of its serial production