Ukraine adopts soviet systems with innovative missile hybrid
The Ukrainians, facing the depletion of missile stockpiles for Soviet-era air defence systems, are trying to modify them to use substitutes. We explain what the Ukrainian 9K33 Osa systems are currently utilizing.
The Russians are conducting a missile barrage campaign against Ukraine using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Defence against the first is extremely difficult, but many air defence systems can counter the latter two aerial attack methods.
One of Ukraine's key short-range systems for years was the 9K33 Osa units. Despite receiving missile stockpiles from practically all NATO countries with these systems in their arsenals and acquiring them even from unusual sources like Jordan, they eventually ran out.
Unfortunately, the sole missile manufacturers for the Osa were the USSR and later Russia. This situation makes operational launchers with experienced crews essentially useless. However, as seen in the photo below (most likely from the summer of 2024), the Ukrainians managed to integrate the Osa with airborne R-73 Vympel missiles. Ukraine appears to have many of these due to deficiencies in its aviation.
9K33 Osa combined with MiG weaponry
The 9K33 Osa systems, introduced into service in the USSR in 1970, were the world's first entirely independent missile systems for combating aerial targets. They were designed to protect armoured and motorized units. The command point, radar, and launcher were all located on a single platform, which was revolutionary at the time.
The integrated radar enabled the detection of objects at distances up to 31 km, and targeting was possible up to 19 km. In contrast, combating targets was possible at distances up to 14 km and altitudes up to 9 km for 9M33M3 missiles or up to approximately 9 km and 5 km for the older 9M33M2. It's worth noting that the Ukrainians boast an 80% interception success rate with the 9M33M3 missiles.
The Osa systems are relatively susceptible to integration with other missiles, as seen during one of the MSPO exhibitions, where a Polish Osa was displayed with German IRIS-T missiles. Ukraine's chosen weapon is the R-73 Vympel (Vampire) missiles.
These are air-to-air missiles with a range of up to about 31 km at high altitudes, but at low altitudes, their range likely drops to about 9 km due to greater air density. The missile contains an 8 kg fragmentation warhead, and targeting is achieved using a thermal guidance head (tracking the heat source).
It's important to note that the "vampire Osa" is not the first Ukrainian anti-aircraft hybrid, as there have also been pictures of the Buk-M1 system with American AIM-7 Sparrow missiles.
