Innovation out of Necessity - Ukraine’s Game-Changing Rocket Strategy

A Ukrainian soldier fires a rocket Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukraine plans to multiply by ten the number of Neptune rockets it produces in 2024, according to Jane Harman, Mara Rudman, and Roger Zakheim, who sit on the National Defense Strategy Committee of the US Congress. They added, according to Newsweek, that Neptune will increase its range to up to 620 miles next year, paving the way for targets deep inside Russia.

Enhancing offensive capabilities

Ukraine’s Neptune rockets became known worldwide when they sank Putin’s flagship “Moskva” two years ago. The missile is based on the Russian anti-ship missile Kh-35 and has already been compared to the American Harpoon.

Increasing the production of a long-range missile capable of penetrating Russian territory would strengthen Ukraine’s ability to hit important Russian targets. Ukraine has received Storm Shadow and SCALP from the United Kingdom and France, as well as the American Army Tactical Missile System. However, these missile stocks are scarce and precious.

Lack of material sparks creativity

“In a perfect world, land attacks are not the best use for modern anti-ship missiles that were specifically designed to sink heavily armored warships at sea,” missile expert Ian Williams told Newsweek. “But Ukraine faces a real deficit in ground missiles and therefore has to get creative.”