Ukraine conducts first successful cruise missile launch test
On January 30, Ukraine conducted the first successful flight tests of the new Ukrainian ground-based cruise missile, which is capable of destroying ground and water targets with precision.
This was reported by National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov in a statement published on NSDC website after the completion of the tests.
According to Turchynov, the missile is entirely the work of Ukrainian engineers from the state enterprise KB Luch, in collaboration with other state and private enterprises of Ukraine’s defense complex.
“During the tests which were carried out successfully, the missile’s flight characteristics and operation were tested,” the NSDC secretary noted.
According to him, the NSDC, which coordinates the national missile program, set a target “to develop cruise missile systems, not only ground-based, but also water and air-based”. “Our cruise missiles’ range and their combat equipment do not contravene the international agreements signed by Ukraine for this type of weapon,” Turchynov added.
“This is a very important development for Ukraine, because after the total disarmament of the Ukrainian army in accordance with the Budapest Memorandum, the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not retain a single cruise missile,” he remarked.
“With today’s tests we have started a new phase of the missile program, according to which our Armed Forces should acquire powerful and highly effective cruise missiles, capable of destroying hostile targets with precision from a great distance,” the NSDC secretary commented, adding that this class of missile system is “an important aggressor deterrence factor”.
In January 2016, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the country will acquire missile weaponry as part of project “Olha” and cruise missile systems based on the technical solutions of project “Neptune”. This was the first time that the existence of these projects was made public.
The final tests of the Olha missile system took place in the Odessa province in December.