"Neptunes, Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems and naval drones: top 10 Ukrainian developments that help the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroy the enemy in war. Photos and videos

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian aggression for almost a decade now, which began in 2014 in a hybrid format and turned into an open war in 2022. The full-scale Russian aggression has become an incentive for the development of the defense industry: in recent years, Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, armored vehicles, self-propelled artillery systems, MLRS, electronic warfare and electronic warfare systems, and much more have been produced.

Ukrainian weapons are already being actively used at the front, participating in daily combat operations and proving themselves in large-scale operations. It would take a long time to list all the modern Ukrainian developments, so OBOZ.UA has collected ten of them that Ukraine can be proud of and that effectively destroy the enemy and protect the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, although the list is by no means exhaustive.

Sea Baby and Mamai maritime drones

According to the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, no private company was involved in the development of Sea Baby maritime drones, which began immediately after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. They are the result of cooperation between SBU specialists and civilian engineers and IT specialists. The devices are manufactured at a production facility located underground.

"The "debut" for the Sea Babies was the attack on the Crimean Bridge in July 2023: the illegal structure erected by the occupiers was attacked by drones carrying 850 kg of explosives. Russian warships subsequently attacked the complexes with 450 kg of explosives.

"This is not just a naval drone, but a multi-purpose platform that is being effectively used today," Malyuk said.

The SBU does not disclose the technical characteristics and design features of Sea Baby surface drones. However, OSINT analyst G. I. Sutton stated that they are a hitherto unseen variation of unmanned surface drones used by Ukraine. Sutton called the Sea Baby a "bridge killer" and emphasized that the July 17 attack on the Crimean bridge was "one of the most successful and noteworthy maritime drone attacks."

The arsenal of maritime drones in service with the SBU is not limited to "sea babies". Thus, in the Black Sea, the special forces use another type of such unmanned systems of Ukrainian production - Mamai marine drones.

Very little is known about the Mamai maritime drones, which were first disclosed by the SBU only in December of this year. In particular, the fact that the unmanned systems are capable of accelerating up to 110 km/h, making them the fastest in the Black Sea.

"We were among the first in the world to produce and operate them. But the only thing that can be said is that Mamai is a favorite hero of our Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk. Therefore, the name of this large maritime drone appeared for a reason. A large group of people are concerned with this issue. And our Mamai will continue to beat the Russian fleet," NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said in an interview with Voice of America at the end of the year.

In addition to the Crimean Bridge, according to TSN journalists , marine drones were responsible for the destruction of Russian ships in the Sevastopol Bay last October: four warships, including the Admiral Makarov frigate, were damaged.

This year, it was with the help of these weapons that the SBU struck the Russian missile carriers Samum and Pavel Derzhavin, the SIG tanker, the Olenegorskiy Gornyak landing ship, damaged the large military tugboat Nikolay Muru and the newest reconnaissance and hydrographic ship Volodymyr Kozitsky.

The SBU emphasizes that these attacks have actually changed the philosophy of naval operations.

ATGM "Stugna-P"

Developed by the Luch Design Bureau, the Stugna-P anti-tank missile system has turned into a nightmare for Russian tankers and enemy armored vehicles in general during almost two years of full-scale war. Moreover, with the help of Stugna-P, Ukrainian anti-tank fighters turned not only a bunch of Russian armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks and self-propelled artillery systems into scrap metal, but even enemy helicopters were shot down with it.

This Ukrainian ATGM can engage enemy targets at a range of up to 5 kilometers during the day and up to 3 kilometers at night. The 130- or 152-mm missile travels at 200 m/s and can penetrate armor up to 800 mm thick.

The cost of one missile for Stugna-P ranges from 20-50 thousand dollars. For comparison, the cost of a shot from the Javelin reaches 75 thousand.

Experts have called this ATGM one of the breakthroughs of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex. "Stugna-P proved itself in March 2022 during the fighting in the north of our country.

Among the undoubted advantages of the system is its remote control: the operator aims the missile at the target from a safe place, which can be located 50 meters from the system itself. And laser guidance improves targeting accuracy.

Ukrainian ATGMs are already in service in ten countries. And it is possible that after the war is over, the demand for them will increase significantly.

Neptune anti-ship system

Another "brainchild" of the Luch Design Bureau that has managed to impress the world is the Neptune anti-ship system. It was with its help that Ukrainian soldiers sent the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva, to the bottom of the Black Sea. There are other cases of the complex being used against enemy ships.

Prior to Neptune, enemy ships sunk in battle were the work of the American Harpoon missile, the French Exocet, the Israeli Gabriel, and the Soviet P-15 Termit.

The system consists of several elements: launch and transportation vehicles and a mobile command post. The 870 kg missile is capable of hitting targets at a range of 7 to 280 km. It flies at a speed of up to 900 km/h, and the system is ready to fire in 15 minutes.

SAU "Bogdana"

The Ukrainian self-propelled artillery system "Bogdana" was also recognized as a development of the KrAZ enterprise. This self-propelled artillery system based on the KrAZ-63221 chassis is the first Ukrainian-made howitzer of the NATO 155 mm caliber.

The armament for this howitzer is produced by the private Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant, while the chassis and armor are made by Ukrainian Armor.

Despite the fact that the Bohdana self-propelled artillery system was launched in 2018, its preliminary firing tests were completed only in January 2022 for a number of reasons.

At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, there was only one copy of Bohdana, and it was going to be destroyed to prevent it from getting to the occupiers. However, this vehicle was evacuated, and in the spring it went into mass production on a new chassis at the request of the Ministry of Defense. According to Ukrainian Armor, the Bohdan, depending on the configuration, costs about 30-50% less than the French Caesar howitzers.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, Bohdana proved itself on the battlefield, in particular, during the liberation of Zmeinyi Island in the Black Sea. In tandem with a reconnaissance drone, the howitzer struck at the occupiers' positions.

Currently, the use of the howitzer on the battlefield is kept secret.

The Bohdana self-propelled artillery system is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 42 km when using a high-explosive projectile and up to 50 km when firing with a rocket-propelled munition. Equipped with 20 shells, it fires about 4-6 of them per minute. The crew of the system consists of 5 people. "The Bohdana can accelerate up to 80 km/h on the highway and has a range of 800 km on the road.

Bulat tank

The Bulat tank, developed by the Kharkiv Morozov Design Bureau, is a modification of the Soviet T-64 tank. Its armor has been modernized: the vehicle received the Knife dynamic armor, which has repeatedly saved the lives of the crew during direct hits in combat, and enhanced passive armor. Combat equipment was also improved: sights and fire control systems. The vehicle received an 850 or 1000 hp engine.

The T-64BM Bulat is armed with a 125 mm smoothbore KBA-3 launcher. The ammunition consists of 36 rounds and another 28 rounds in the loading mechanism conveyor. The tank has a range of 500 km and a maximum speed of 60.5 km/h. The crew consists of three people.

The tank has already proven itself on the battlefield, particularly in eastern Ukraine.

APCS-4 "Bucephalus"

The Ukrainian all-wheel drive armored personnel carrier BTR-4 Bucephalus was developed by specialists of the Kharkiv Machine Building Design Bureau. It is designed to transport soldiers: the armored personnel carrier's protection complies with NATO STANAG 4569.

The BTR-4 is armed with a 30-mm automatic cannon. This vehicle demonstrated its ability to destroy enemies during the battle for Mariupol: the city's defenders used the BTR-4 to destroy both enemy manpower and Russian tanks.

"The Bucephalus can perform tasks at any time of the day, and it can also be used to force crossings. In fact, it is a platform on which various variations can be made, such as a command and control vehicle or an evacuation vehicle. There are also variants of the APCS-4 with different combat modules.

The BTR-4 is used in all areas of the frontline.

In addition to the 30-mm KBA-1 cannon, the armored personnel carrier can be equipped with either a 3TM-1 or two 23-mm automatic 2A7M cannons, a Konkurs or Barrier ATGM, plus a 30-mm Ag-17 grenade launcher and a 7.62-mm machine gun.

A 400 or 600 hp engine allows the Bucephalus to accelerate to 110 km/h, with a range of 690 km. The vehicle's crew consists of 2-3 people, and it can also carry 6 to 10 soldiers in a spacious landing compartment. The gunner's seat is equipped with an electronic display. The BRT-4 also has an additional built-in motor generator and a good combat module. Among the disadvantages, the military often cites the large dimensions that make the BRT4 an easy target for anti-tank weapons.

Armored vehicles "Kozak"

The Practika Research and Production Association has been producing armored vehicles of the Kozak family since 2015. These are MRAP-type vehicles with enhanced protection against mines and ambushes, and they are more maneuverable and have lighter armor than conventional MRAP armored personnel carriers.

To date, hundreds of these vehicles of various modifications have been produced.

One of them, the Kozak-2M armored wheeled vehicle, is already being called a "compact armored personnel carrier." Its body is a monocoque without a frame with a fully independent suspension: this increases the vehicle's cross-country ability and reduces its overall height. The next model, the Kozak-5, which appeared in 2017, became even lighter and more maneuverable than its predecessor.

The developer also took into account the lessons of the war and paid attention to strengthening the vehicle's protection not only against bullets but also against artillery shell fragments.

The armored vehicle can be equipped with Turkish Aselsan combat modules.

This four-wheel drive armored vehicle can carry up to 9 soldiers. The 180 hp engine allows it to reach a speed of 110 km/h. The vehicle has a range of 260 km.

The Cossacks have already proven themselves at the front. In particular, these armored vehicles took part in the offensive in Kharkiv region: the soldiers used "mosquito tactics" to attack the occupiers in many mobile groups on armored vehicles.

"The Cossacks are in service with various branches of the Defense Forces, including the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center, the Airborne Forces and the 3rd Special Forces Regiment. The vehicles have repeatedly proven their effectiveness in protecting the crew during explosions. There are many photos and videos on the web of Cossacks with the front end smashed, but the crew capsule intact.

Alligator sniper rifle

Snipex Alligator sniper rifles of 14.5 x 114 mm caliber are manufactured by Hado Holding. They are designed to engage moving and stationary targets such as vehicles, communications and air defense equipment, aircraft in parking lots, as well as fortified points and dugouts.

The rifle was presented in 2020 and was adopted by the Ukrainian army before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Weighing 25 kg and 2000 mm in length, the rifle is capable of effectively hitting targets at a distance of up to 2 km, with a maximum range of 7 km. The initial velocity of the bullet is 980 m/s. The magazine holds 5 rounds.

Media reports say that the military, who have worked with the Snipex Alligator, note the rifle's extraordinary power. They claim that it can be used to confidently work not only on enemy manpower but also on armored combat vehicles.

MLRS "Bureviy"

Another novelty of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex is the development of the Bureviy MLRS by the Shepetivka Repair Plant. It is expected to replace the Soviet Uragan multiple launch rocket system.

The caliber of the Bureviy is the same as that of the Uragan, so it can fire the same missiles. However, unlike the Uragan, the new Ukrainian MLRS has a number of improvements, including a new Czech Tatra T815-7 chassis, a digital fire control system, and battlefield information exchange.

The Bureviy MLRS has been repeatedly captured on video from the battlefield, which confirms its active use in the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The 220 mm caliber system can fire at a distance of up to 35 km. If Typhoon missiles are used, the range almost doubles to 65 km. The number of guides is 16.

It is not known how many of these MLRS are currently at the front. However, the military, who have worked with Burevii, give them good feedback.

Shark, Ukrjet, Leleka-100 UAVs

The war with Russia has shown how important drones are on the battlefield. And Ukrainian manufacturers have started producing UAVs for a variety of tasks. It would be extremely difficult to list all the new products that have emerged during the Russian-Ukrainian war, so we will focus on just a few Ukrainian drones.

For example, the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle Shark manufactured by Ukrspecsystems is a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a camera with 30x optical zoom and additional digital zoom. It was launched during the full-scale Russian invasion. The cruising speed of the complex is 70-90 km/h, with a maximum speed of 150 km/h. Shark is launched by a catapult and lands with a parachute.

The drone is capable of operating behind enemy lines, and after an upgrade, a more powerful battery was installed on the Shark, so it can stay in the air for up to four hours.

Thanks to its 120x zoom and good stabilization, this complex allows for effective fire adjustment.

The UJ-22 Airborne UAV, developed by the Ukrainian company Ukrjet, is a bit older than the Shark. The complex was presented at an arms exhibition in 2021. It is used for reconnaissance, transportation, and strike missions.

The Airborne drone has a range of up to 800 km, can fly at an altitude of up to 6,000 meters at a speed of 140-200 km/h and stay in the air for up to 14 hours with a payload of up to 20 kg.

The same manufacturer created the UJ-23 TOPAZ multi-role jet UAV. The complex, designed to conduct reconnaissance and military search and rescue operations, can operate at any time of day or year, as well as in bad weather and electronic countermeasures. It covers a radius of up to 400 km in autonomous mode, has a cruising speed of 600 km/h, can climb to an altitude of up to 6,000 meters and stay in the air for up to 1.5 hours.

In 2016, the "brainchild" of the Dnipro-based company DeViRo, established in 2014, the Leleka-100 multifunctional drone was authorized for use in the Armed Forces for a special period. It was created for aerial reconnaissance and determining the exact geographical coordinates of objects in real time. A 360-degree camera equipped with the drone makes it effective in reconnaissance.

The cruising speed of the Leleka-100 is 60-70 km/h, with a maximum speed of 120 km/h. It can stay in the air for up to 2-2.5 hours. It can climb to an altitude of 1,500 meters and weighs about 5 kg.

The UAV's video feed is encoded, which prevents it from being intercepted by standard video receivers. In addition, the video signal from the UAV does not contain any flight telemetry or GPS. An additional camera can be installed on the drone, programmed to take pictures at a specified interval or on command from the autopilot system.

To eliminate the possibility of being detected by a possible enemy's electronic warfare equipment, the video channel transmitter is equipped with a remote switch-on and switch-off system. The UAV is capable of taking off and landing in radio silence mode, and throughout the flight, the operator can turn on or off the video broadcast from the Leleka as needed.

The complex is adapted to operate in difficult radio conditions, in the mode of deliberate radio jamming or blocking of GPS/GLONASS satellite navigation systems.

As a reminder, on December 27, during the awarding ceremony for representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy named Ukraine's main task. According to him, Ukraine must develop weapons production so that Russia clearly understands that every attack will be met with a powerful response.

The President announced the state's steps to stimulate the development of the military-industrial complex and noted that in 2023, arms production tripled compared to 2022.

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