MBDA will develop the ‘Neptune-2’ long-range cruise missile in collaboration with the Ukrainian design bureau ‘Luch’
This is reported on its website.
MBDA is Europe’s largest manufacturer of missile systems, specialising in the development of long-range strike systems and cruise missiles.
Among the company’s best-known developments are the Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, which are already being used by Ukraine to strike Russian military targets, the MdCN (Naval Cruise Missile) and the promising Land Cruise Missile, anti-ship missiles from the Exocet, Marte and Teseo/Otomat families, as well as the Aster, CAMM and Mistral, the Akeron anti-tank systems and other high-precision weapon systems for the army, air force and navy.
The agreement provides for the development of the ‘Neptune’ cruise missile to create the ‘Neptune-2’ long-range strike system based on it.
“As a European leader in the field of complex missile systems, MBDA possesses the necessary technologies, expertise and international partnerships to develop and supply European-made long-range strike systems and technologies to partner countries. This enables the armed forces to effectively defend our values and freedoms. The ‘Luch’ Design Bureau possesses unique knowledge, expertise and practical experience in the design, development, integration and production of complex weapons and missile systems,” the MBDA statement reads.
The State Design Bureau “Luch” manufactures the RK360L missile for the “Neptune” system, which has at least four variants and is already being used effectively by the Ukrainian Defence Forces. It has a range of up to 1,000 km and a warhead weighing 260 kg. According to General Serhiy Kryvonos, the launch of the “Neptune” system’s cruise missile programme “from scratch” cost $36 million.
It should be noted that the “Neptune” missile has been in active use over the past two months: on 11 June, the Ukrainian Navy used “Neptune” missiles to destroy weapons storage facilities in Sevastopol; on the night of 31 May, they disabled two oil refining units at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region; in April, a Neptune missile strike on the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog destroyed two production workshops.
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