Ukraine unveils ‘Koral’: New missile built to take on ballistic threats
Ukraine has unveiled the Koral, a new homegrown surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept ballistic threats and aircraft. The system, displayed at a Polish defense exhibition, features advanced guidance technology and represents a significant evolution in Ukraine's domestic military capabilities.
Why it matters
The development highlights Ukraine's push for self-reliance in defense manufacturing amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukraine has for the first time shown the launcher for its homegrown Koral surface-to-air missile, a new air-defence weapon being developed to tackle both aircraft and ballistic targets. The system was displayed at the MSPO defence exhibition in Poland on September 8, according to Ukrainian defence outlet Militarnyi.An image released by Ukraine’s state defence industry showed a Koral missile being launched from a self-propelled platform mounted on a Czech-made Tatra truck. The missile is primarily designed to intercept aerial threats, including ballistic targets. Its developers say it could also be used in limited circumstances against radar-detectable targets on land or at sea.The latest version of Koral weighs around 450 kg and carries a 36-kg warhead. It is 4.8 metres long, with a body diameter of 230/300 mm. Its guidance system combines inertial navigation, radio-command updates and an active radar seeker.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in