Probably worth starting with a description of the weapon itself. It appears to be a development of the Kh-35 Uran (SS-N-25, nicknamed "Harpoonski" for it's resemblance in size to the US Harpoon) The attached PDF is a page from the State Kyiv Design Bureau brochure with the official specs. The ability to launch from 25km inland of the coast is significant, since it dramatically expands the area one would have to cover to find the launcher.
First operational units apparently delivered in March.
Ukraine has moved closer to finally setting up its coastal defense against Russia as the country's navy obtained the… - Mar. 15, 2021. By Illia Ponomarenko
So, is Slava dead or alive ? We presently have a Schrodinger cruiser... Ukrainian says "we sunk the hell out of it" Russians answer "nah, it is under way to safety, although still burning..."
This is Ukraine Styx / Eilat (1967), Exocet / Sheffield (1982) moment...
So, is Slava dead or alive ? We presently have a Schrodinger cruiser... Ukrainian says "we sunk the hell out of it" Russians answer "nah, it is under way to safety, although still burning..."
This is Ukraine Styx / Eilat (1967), Exocet / Sheffield (1982) moment...
So, is Slava dead or alive ? We presently have a Schrodinger cruiser... Ukrainian says "we sunk the hell out of it" Russians answer "nah, it is under way to safety, although still burning..."
This is Ukraine Styx / Eilat (1967), Exocet / Sheffield (1982) moment...
Neptune as a development of the Soviet 3M24 makes an interesting contrast to its Russian counterpart, the Kh-35U, with both aiming for range improvements but doing so in different ways. As the turbojet engine of the original missile was supplied by a Ukrainian manufacturer, the Russians substituted a more efficient, domestically produced turbofan while keeping airframe size largely the same. Due to the greater diameter of the new engine, it is installed in an off-center, semi-submerged configuration as opposed to fully buried as in 3M24 and Neptune.
The latter meanwhile significantly increased length and weight to accommodate more fuel (fair enough, the basic 3M24 is extremely compact). This apparently required the Ukrainians to develop a new booster, which unlike its Russian equivalent is smokeless (or at least reduced smoke). Neptune also has an interesting seeker that appears to use a different principle to the conventional slotted array of the 3M24 (shown on the first photo below, not sure about the Kh-35U). Might be AESA (second photo)?
Where it gets really intriguing is the North Korean KN-19 AShM, which is generally held to be a 3M24 development. If you examine available footage of it more closely, it seems to be less of a direct clone of the Soviet original, the Kh-35U or a "third way" than a Neptune copy though. It retains the buried engine, has the longer airframe and the booster is smokeless! Since Russia seems to be actively supporting the *South* in missile development (KM-SAM/S-350 and more pertinently the Oniks-like supersonic AShM), aid to the North seems unlikely.
Note: I'm not saying the Ukrainians must have necessarily been aiding NK actively, either. Given its proclivities for cyber espionage and similar shady dealings, there are plenty of other ways how it might have obtained the tech. Consider the KN-24 SRBM which is essentially an ATACMS clone - do we seriously expect the US to have lent a hand here? Thought so
EDIT: To illustrate - first pic, very smoky Kh-35U booster exhaust and semi-exposed, short-duct engine; second, KN-19. Compare and contrast with the Nepture photo in Abingdon's post above...
Analysis of radar satellite imagery has revealed the location of the Moskva soon after she was reportedly hit by 2 missiles. The Russian Navy cruiser was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet and is a symbolic as well as naval loss for Russia.
www.navalnews.com
Satellite Image Pinpoints Russian Cruiser Moskva As She Burned
This seems very unlikely. Ukraine has been working on Neptune for quite a few years and have shown a very credible looking seeker (above) that is NOT Harpoon's.
If it one of the thousand and one civil drones or similar size ones?
Those basically have the ultimate form of Stealth.
For the highest level of stealth isn't becoming invisible.
Its not even trying to stay hidden anymore, it just letting people unsee you of their own free will.
The radar cross section on those are so small they get filter out with the rest of the junk.
Or it so damn close it is inside of the radar minimum range.
Those radars are not optimized for finding drones, that the job for the Shorad types for a reason.
And as everyone who ever heard but never could spot a Plane understand that trying to find something in the sky is hard.
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine announced said in the Telegram channel. “As a result of the explosion, the installation itself, the missiles installed on it, and the personnel were completely destroyed.
”The video shared starts with a perspective from a drone, showcasing what they allege to be the S-400 system. In an instant, a vibrant yellow explosion occurs, followed by an expansive eruption of dark gray smoke ascending into the sky. Additionally, there are white smoke trails emerging from the impacted system.
Kyiv had alluded to the deployment of fresh weaponry for executing extended-range attacks within occupied Crimea. Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov has indicated that the R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile, adapted for land-based assault purposes, was put into action for this attack.In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how Ukraine managed to destroy the Russian S-400 system with a Neptune missile ?
I'm not surprised that a land-attack version of the Neptune has been developed (A similar has been done with the AGM-84 Harpoon) and the destruction of that long-range Podlet radar alone will cause serious problems for the Russians if it can't be replaced.
Interesting about the claim to have hit other targets. Neptune has apparently been launched at targets approaching the Ukrianian coast but was either shot down/decoyed or missed. The only potential target that I'm aware of that was struck by AShM, apart from Moskva, was the Vasily Bekh rescue tug that was hit and destroyed by 2 AShM. These were filmed and reported as Harpoon...
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