“Unstoppable” Ukranian Missile Developed

“Unstoppable” Ukranian Missile Developed

ukranian missile

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A Ukrainian defense contractor has recently developed a missile that they claim can fly so fast that it cannot be intercepted by anti-missile systems. Although the Bliskavka (Lightening) missile is very fast and difficult to shoot down, the missile is not completely unstoppable.

Ever since the days of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has shown experience with weapon developments, now showing off its new hypersonic missile.

Developed by Yuzhnoye, the Bliskavka missile is designed to be carried by the Su-24M Fencer and the Su-27 Flanker fighter aircraft. The missile itself can carry armor piercing and high explosive warheads and it could reach speeds between 2,000 and 2,500 kilometers an hour.

The missile’s design suggests that it is powered by a ramjet engine. This can be assumed due to the air intakes on both sides of the missile. Ramjet engines work by utilizing the engines forward motion to suck in oxygen at high speeds to power the missile. Ramjet engines are most efficient when traveling at supersonic speeds.

It is assumed that the engine could help the missile reach speeds of up to 3.5 mach. However, when it comes to outspeeding missile defense systems, the Bliskavka would need to fly much faster. Popularmechanics.com reports that Russia’s main surface to air missile system, the S-400 Triumph, can engage targets at speeds of up to mach 15, so theoretically it is possible.

However, in reality the missile flies relatively low, that way it is difficult for radar systems to detect the Bliskavka in order to shoot it down. This would give an S-400 missile system about 30 seconds to detect and shoot down a Bliskavka missile, this is doable but it is still considered difficult.

A single S-400 battery costs about half a billion dollars, so in order for Russia to protect itself against such a missile comfortably, it would need to spend about $2 billion on missile defense systems.

The Bliskavka is not unstoppable, but owning and operating such a weapon would definitely give your adversaries a tough time.