Ukraine unveiled a self-propelled launcher for its Koral surface-to-air missile for the first time Tuesday at the MSPO international defense exhibition in Poland.
An image released by Ukraine’s state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom showed a missile being launched from a mobile system mounted on the chassis of a Czech-made Tatra truck.
According to Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi, the Koral missile which is reportedly compatible with launchers used by the S-300 and Patriot missile system, is designed to intercept aerial and ballistic targets as part of an air defense system, according to information presented by the developer.
In exceptional circumstances, it could also be used against radar-visible targets on land or at sea. The missile weighs 450 kilograms (992 pounds), including a 36-kilogram (79-pound) warhead. Its guidance system combines inertial navigation, radio-command updates and an active radar-homing seeker.
The missile is 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) long and has a diameter of 230-300 millimeters (9-12 inches). Its wingspan is 835 millimeters (33 inches), while its control surfaces span 685 millimeters (27 inches).
Development work on the Koral project began in 2016. Documents from that period described the missile as part of a planned ship-based surface-to-air missile system.
The project became more widely known in 2021, when Ukraine’s Luch Design Bureau presented a full-size model of the missile at the Arms and Security defense exhibition.
At the time, Koral was described as a modular missile that could potentially be used with both land- and ship-based air defense systems. Developers also considered adapting it for use as an air-to-air missile.
The initial version had more limited stated specifications. It was expected to have a range of up to 30 kilometers (19 miles), an interception altitude of up to 10 kilometers (6 miles), a total weight of about 300 kilograms (660 pounds) and a 25-kilogram (55-pound) warhead.
The earlier design was 4.33 meters (14 feet) long and had a diameter of 230-260 millimeters (9-10 inches). Developers said the specifications could change depending on customer requirements.