Ukraine has transformed its stockpile of Soviet-era R-73 air-to-air missiles into ground-based air defense weapons, Forbes reports. These 105-kg, infrared-guided missiles, which normally chase the heat signatures of jet engines when fired from fighter aircraft, are now being launched from at least three different ground platforms.
Ukraine’s air defenses have been heavily strained by daily Russian air attacks since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Russia uses long-range explosive drones, missiles, and guided bombs in its assaults. In response, Ukraine has secured air defense systems from allies, developed anti-air drones, and repurposed old weapons from its stockpiles to strengthen its defenses.
Forbes reports that after the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, Ukraine inherited a significant stockpile of R-73 missiles, originally designed for Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighters. Capable of targeting enemies up to 30 km away, these missiles became crucial as Ukraine’s stock of specialized heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles, like the 9M33s for Osa launchers, dwindled. The R-73s, effective even when launched from the ground, were increasingly used to fill the gap.
Ukraine now employs at least three different ground-based launchers for the R-73 missiles:
- The Gravehawk truck launcher system, developed by British engineers, with 17 units reportedly built for Ukraine last year
- A modified version of the Osa launcher, first observed in 2023
- A new truck-based launcher that entered service with the Ukrainian army’s 3rd Assault Brigade this month (pictured on the featured image above).
Although the R-73 missile dates back to the early 1980s, Forbes reports potential for modernization. In the early 2000s, the Kyiv Arsenal Central Design Bureau developed an upgraded MM-2000 seeker during a period of Russian-Ukrainian industrial collaboration.
This enhanced seeker offers improved sensitivity and better resistance to jamming compared to the original. While it remains unclear if Ukraine’s repurposed R-73 missiles use this technology, Forbes suggests it would be surprising if Ukrainian forces weren’t utilizing it to address air-defense gaps along the front lines.
The R-73 is also mounted on some Ukrainian maritime drones, providing anti-air capabilities to counter Russian helicopters targeting them.
Related:
- Ukrainian forces destroy Russian Buk-M1 anti-air missile launcher (video)
- Ukraine’s FrankenBuk air defense system combines Soviet Buk-M1 with Western Sea Sparrow missiles
- Ukraine confirms first Russian jet downed by Italian-French SAMP/T system
- Two Russian SAM systems struck by Ukrainian kamikaze drones launched from uncrewed boat (video)
- UK engineers turn Soviet R-73 missiles into Ukraine’s new Gravehawk air defense
