Ukraine presents Koral missile as potential alternative to S-300 and Patriot

Ukraine’s construction bureau Luch has presented an interceptor for an advanced air defence system known as Koral, which is reportedly compatible with launchers used by the S-300 and Patriot missile system.

The missile was showcased at an exhibition of Ukrainian-developed weapons, drones, hybrid missile-drone systems, and other unmanned platforms recently attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Caliber.Az reports, citing TWZ (The War Zone).

The report notes that it is unclear whether the version on display was a prototype or a production model.

The Koral interceptor is said to have a range of up to 100 kilometres, a total weight of around 300 kilograms, and a speed of approximately 3,600 km/h.

In 2023, Luch’s head, Oleh Korostelyov, said the interceptor, equipped with Ukraine’s Onyx radar guidance system, could be effective against ballistic targets.

TWZ reported that Luch and Ukrainian company Radionix are cooperating with Spain’s Sener, which produces components for the IRIS-T.

Earlier agreements between Ukraine and European partners indicated that initial Koral models used engines from the Patriot missile system, though these have reportedly been replaced in the latest version.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov