Ukraine Unveils New Missile, Likely for Osa-AKM Air Defense System

A new anti-aircraft missile, likely intended for the Soviet Osa-AKM air defense systems, has been unveiled in Ukraine.

This was reported by Militarnyi based on an analysis of a video released for Ukrainian Weapons Day by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The published video shows several clips of an unidentified missile that bears a striking resemblance to Soviet 9M33 series missiles, specifically the 9M33M3.

In particular, one can see the characteristic rear fins, which are nearly identical on both types of missiles. The overall shape, launch guide, and front fins are also remarkably similar.

However, it is not known for certain whether this is indeed a copy of Soviet missiles built using new components, and if so, which specific version it is and whether it has improved performance characteristics.

Osa-AKM

Osa-AKM is an all-weather Soviet anti-aircraft missile system designed to protect military forces and assets, as well as critical infrastructure, from aircraft and cruise missiles. It is this modification that forms the core of the Ukrainian military’s inventory of this type of air defense system.

The self-propelled SAM launcher, fully equipped for combat, is armed with six 9M33M3 anti-aircraft guided missiles.

The 9M33M3 anti-aircraft guided missile weighs 126.3 kg, of which 15 kg is the warhead. The missile is 3,158 mm long, with a body diameter of 206 mm and a wingspan of 650 mm. Guidance is radio-command.

The flight speed reaches 500 m/s. The target detection range is up to 45 km. The engagement zone ranges from 1,500 to 10,000 m in range, from 25 to 5,000 m in altitude, and ±6,000 m in course deviation. The missile is capable of engaging targets at speeds of up to 500 m/s and with maneuverability of up to 8 Gs.

Based on experience from the Ukraine-Russia war, the Osa air defense systems proved extremely effective in the hands of Ukrainian defenders throughout 2022 and part of 2023, shooting down a significant portion of Russian drones and cruise missiles. However, ammunition stocks for these systems began to run out fairly quickly, and the intensity of their use decreased significantly.

To partially offset this problem, the “Come Back Alive” Foundation modernized the Osa air defense missile systems for the Defense Forces. Following the upgrade, the systems can operate not only with standard 9M33M3 surface-to-air missiles—which are currently in short supply—but also with R-73 air-to-air guided missiles, of which Ukraine currently has ample supplies.

It is also worth noting that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Luch Design Bureau was tasked with developing a new T382 missile with improved performance for the Ukrainian-Belarusian T38 “Stilet” air defense system—a modernized version of the Osa system.

The anti-aircraft guided missile was to be dual-caliber—130/260 mm—with a launch weight of 140 kg. The warhead was to weigh 18 kg. The engagement range was to be 1.5 to 20 km in distance and 0.025 to 10 km in altitude. The missile’s maximum flight speed reached 850 m/s. However, as far as is known from open sources, the missile never progressed beyond the prototype stage.