Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Ukraine unveiled on April 13 a new missile-drone hybrid dubbed the “Areion” with a reported range of several hundred kilometers.
The munition was showcased on the sideline of an exhibition organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to mark the Defense Industry Worker’s Day. The updated exposition was presented to foreign diplomats, with representatives of Ukrainian defense companies conducting a dedicated tour.
The Areion was developed on the bases of the Palyanytsia, a jet-powered drone made by the Ukrainian Defense Industry, which is more known as Ukroboronprom.
Ukrainian media described the Areion as a relatively low-cost munition designed for mass employment to strike targets at a fairly long distance. It combines a cruise missile approach with specific elements of drone.
The range of the missile-drone hybrid is reported to be up to 600 kilometers, with a warhead weighing up to 120 kilograms.
No details on the Aerion’s guidance system were presented. However, photos shared shows no optical systems anywhere on the munition, which suggest that it relies solely on a GPS-aided inertial navigation system. Such systems can be jammed.
In addition, the Aerion is canisterized and can be launched from the same launcher used for the R-360 Neptune cruise missile.
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
The Areion is the latest in a series of missile-drone hybrid Ukraine has been working on to provide an alternative to more costly cruise missiles.
The Palianytsia and the very similar Peklo were both presented well over a year ago. Yet, they have seen very little use in strikes against Russian territories, and they were not that successful.
While the design of the Areion seems more refined, it will not likely be any more successful than its predecessors. Ukraine clearly failed to mass produce much simpler systems, and based on this, it is safe to assume that it will not likely be able to do so with more complex ones.
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wonder who’s building these for skies
piano tenis player thinks he is king of world
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