Ukraine has shown off, for the first time, a home-built missile designed to shoot down ballistic targets. The Koral surface-to-air missile appeared at the MSPO defense expo in Poland, in an Ukroboronprom image showing a launch from a self-propelled launcher on a Czech Tatra truck chassis, Militarnyi reports.

It is unclear what is meant by “ballistic targets.” Russia has a wide range of ballistic weapons, from Iskander ballistic missiles to Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.

More broadly, the term “ballistic target” can refer to an object following a ballistic trajectory after the powered phase of its flight has ended, with its subsequent motion governed primarily by gravity and aerodynamic drag. This category can also include rockets fired by multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), such as the Grad and Smerch.

Evolution of the Koral

The missile weighs 450 kg, including a 36-kg warhead. Its guidance system combines inertial navigation, radio correction, and an active radar homing seeker. The missile is 4.8 meters long and has a diameter of 230/300 mm.

At the initial stage, the “Koral” was advertised with significantly more modest specifications: an engagement range of up to 30 km, an engagement altitude of up to 10 km, a weight of around 300 kg, and a 25-kg warhead. The missile was 4.33 meters long and had a diameter of 230/260 mm. At the same time, the designers emphasized that the specific specifications could vary depending on the customer’s requirements.

History of the developement

Development of the “Koral” began as early as 2016. Initially, the project was conceived as part of a ship-based surface-to-air missile system. In 2021, the Luch State Design Bureau unveiled a full-scale mock-up of the missile for the first time at the “Arms and Security” exhibition.

At the time, the “Koral” was presented as a unified, modular missile for both land-based and shipborne SAM systems, with potential applications as an air-to-air missile as well.