Russia has begun using 3M44 Progress supersonic anti-ship missiles converted into land-attack weapons to attack targets in Ukraine.
Images posted on social media on January 18 showed the remains of what appeared to be a Russian 3M44 Progress missile that crashed in Ukraine, but it was unclear when or where it was found. Some pro-Ukrainian military accounts said the missile was shot down by air defenses en route to its target.
In the photo, the missile is broken due to impact with the ground at high speed, but the unique features of the 3M44 Progress can still be recognized, such as the elongated cigar-shaped body, the engine air intake located under the body and the large-angled lifting wings. This is the first time the 3M44 Progress missile has been used by Russia since the launch of the campaign in Ukraine in February 2022.
The wreckage of a 3M44 Progress missile found in Ukraine in a photo released on January 18. Photo: Drive
It is not clear whether the missile was fired from a transporter-launcher (TEL) or a fixed Utyos complex located in the Balaklava area on the Crimean peninsula.
Russian and Ukrainian officials have not commented on the information.
Western military experts believe that the appearance of the 3M44 Progress missile in the conflict is a sign that Russia is continuing to convert many types of missiles available in its inventory into ground-attack weapons, to compensate for the shortage of specialized ground-attack missiles.
The 3M44 missile is 10.2 m long, has a body diameter of nearly one meter, and a launch weight of about 4.2 tons. The lifting wing has a span of 2.6 m and folds into the launch tube. The missile is equipped with two solid-fuel boosters, which help push the missile out of the launch tube and reach a speed high enough to activate the jet turbine engine.
The 3M44 has a range of 450 km, a maximum cruise altitude of 7 km and a speed of 1,800-2,200 km/h. If launched in a salvo, one missile will fly high to use its radar to detect the target and share data with the lower-flying missiles. During the descent phase, the missile will descend to a height of 25-100 m to avoid air defense radar, limiting the enemy's reaction time and interception capabilities.
The Utyos complex in Crimea fires missiles during exercises in 2019. Video: Russian Ministry of Defense
Each missile is equipped with a 560 kg high explosive warhead or a tens of kiloton nuclear warhead, capable of destroying many types of warships, including aircraft carriers and heavy landing ships, if it hits the target. The large kinetic energy and excess fuel after the flight can also cause heavy damage in the target area.
The 3M44 is the main weapon of the Utyos coastal defense system, which was put into operation by the Soviet Union in 1973, to protect the Crimean peninsula and the strategic naval base of Sevastopol, as well as to partially blockade the Black Sea when conflicts broke out. The Utyos complexes were mainly deployed inside mountains to avoid preemptive attacks by the enemy.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, one Utyos system was located in Ukrainian-controlled territory and abandoned. The restoration of these complexes began in 2014, after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula, and they were first test-fired in early 2017.
Experts have not yet determined the guidance mechanism of the 3M44 missile when attacking ground targets in Ukraine.
The original missile was equipped with an inertial navigation system, capable of correcting its flight path throughout the journey thanks to radio signal transmission to the control station, combined with active radar when about 20 km away from the target.
"The inertial navigation system can guide the missile to a predetermined landmark, while the active radar specializes in tracking high-contrast objects. The data link allows the control crew to track the missile's trajectory, select flight correction options, and command it to dive down to the target at an angle of up to 80 degrees," wrote writer Thomas Newdick on the US military website War Zone .
A 3M44 Progress missile leaves the launcher of the Utyos complex during the 2019 exercise. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
Western experts say the 450 km range of the 3M44 Progress would only allow it to reach Kherson province when launched from a site in Balaklava. Some upgraded versions of the missile can reach a range of 750 km, but their operational status is unknown.
"Russia is looking to use the 3M44's speed and diving capabilities to attack Ukrainian targets, similar to the P-800 Oniks and Kh-22 missiles, which are weapons that Ukrainian air defenses have not been able to intercept. It is very likely that the 3M44 will continue to be deployed for high-intensity air strikes in the near future," Newdick warned.
Vu Anh (According to Drive, Defense Express )
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