Vilkha 300mm guided rocket cleared for mass production.

The final testing of the “Vilkha” guided rocket is now complete. Over a dozen of UkrOboronProm enterprises, as well as other Ukrainian defense enterprises, are involved in the manufacture of this missile system which is claimed to be “better than the Russian analogue Smerch by all odds,” said Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.

Final test fire of the 300mm guided rocket "Vilkha" (Picture source: UkrOboronProm)

Fire tests took place in the Kherson region with the participation of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. The President instructed to launch mass production of the missile in 2018. “Why is it so important? Not only because the Ukrainian army will finally get a high-precision weaponry that will substantially increase the efficiency of the AFU units, but also because the “Vilkha” missile is fully made of Ukrainian details. Nobody can hinder us in producing this high-precision weaponry”, the Head of State emphasized.

The Vilkha is a solid-fuel rocket, ranging 50-300 km when fired from a 9K58 self-propelled launcher. It was developed primarily by the state-run Luch engineering bureau.

Petro Poroshenko noted that the production of new high-precision weapons had been organized in a short term for the first time. “Only two years ago, the NSDC made a decision to begin the missile program and today, we have completed the testing. The missile will be added to the armory,” the President said. He reminded that before 2014, the capabilities of the AFU and the missile complex had been destroyed, production had been eliminated.

“We have paid a very high price for that. Now, the enemy knows the potential of the Ukrainian defense-industrial complex, the Ukrainian Army. I can tell one specific figure: this missile is 10 times more precise and, accordingly, 10 times more efficient than the old multiple-launch rocket systems that have been in service since the Soviet Union time”, the Head of State emphasized.

The President also emphasized that new tasks had been set, including the development of cruise missiles. The Head of State claimed that Ukraine, in accordance with the independent international assessment, had entered the top 10 effective armies in Europe. “We are convinced that such steps increase our efficiency significantly and our partners, including those from NATO, can firmly count on the AFU’s strength. Just as we count on our partners,” the President said.