Range of up to 2,000 km, Ballistic Missiles and Domestic Artillery: Syrskyi Approves Concept for the Development of Missile Forces and Artillery

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has approved the Concept for the Development of the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This document outlines the main directions for developing the capabilities of these branches of the military in the medium term—through 2030, according to a press release obtained by Militarnyi.

Today, missile forces and artillery are present in virtually all components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The Ukrainian military operates one of the world’s most extensive ranges of artillery systems and uses nearly all available types of ammunition.

At the same time, Oleksandr Syrskyi acknowledged the factors currently reducing the effectiveness of this branch of the military. These include dependence on foreign supplies of weapons and ammunition, complex logistics due to the diversity of systems, the limited range of certain models, and a shortage of artillery reconnaissance assets.

The new concept stipulates that domestically produced models should form the core of artillery units’ equipment. Worn-out Soviet-caliber systems that cannot be modernized or repaired will be gradually phased out, but units equipped with the most modern foreign-made artillery systems will remain within the forces.

The development of a modern artillery reconnaissance system is identified as a separate priority in the document. The Commander-in-Chief emphasized that artillery has been, is, and will remain one of the key factors for success on the battlefield.

The development of missile weapons is outlined as a separate section in the Concept, which provides for the completion of development and subsequent serial production of domestic ballistic and cruise missiles. In combination with unmanned systems, this will enable the destruction of targets at distances of up to 2,000 km.