Description

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Context:

During a joint operation of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy, an ammunition storage depot in the Rostov region, Russia, was hit using the Neptune missile recently.

About Neptune Missile

The R-360 Neptun is a subsonic cruise missile developed in Ukraine, originally designed as an anti-ship missile and later modified for land attack.
The design of this missile is based on the Russian Kh-35 guided missile, which bears the name AS-20 Kayak of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO).
The system entered service with the Ukrainian Navy in March 2021.

Features

The missile weighs 870 kg and is 5.05 meters long. The missile travels at speeds of up to 900 km/h and can fly at heights of 10 to 300 meters, descending to just three meters on final approach to avoid enemy air defenses.
It has a maximum range of 400 km and a combat weight of 350 kilograms (150 kg in the anti-ship version).
A satellite positioning system was installed to guide the missile during the marching phase of the flight.
In the final part of the flight, the missile is guided by an infrared guidance system.

Types of Missiles Based on the Launch Mode

Launch Mode	Description	Examples
Surface-to-Surface	Launched from ground platforms to engage land targets	Prithvi, Agni, BrahMos
Surface-to-Air	Launched from the ground to intercept aerial threats such as aircraft, helicopters, and drones	Akash, MRSAM
Air-to-Surface	Air-launched missiles to attack ground targets	Helina anti-tank missile (fired from Rudra helicopter)
Air-to-Air	Aircraft-launched missiles against enemy air targets	Astra BVR air-to-air missile (fired from Tejas)
Ship-to-Ship	Naval anti-ship missiles launched from warships or submarines	BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile (launched from ships)
Ship-based Surface-to-Air	Naval surface-to-air missiles deployed for fleet air defense	Barak-8 LR-SAM
Submarine-Launched	Missiles launched from submerged submarines	K-15 ballistic missile
Portable Missiles	Missiles fired from portable infantry launchers or shoulder-fired systems	FIM-92 Stinger, Igla SAMs

READ IN DETAIL HERE

NEPTUNE MISSILES

Source:

MSN.COM

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.With reference to the R-360 Neptun missile, consider the following statements:

The R-360 Neptun is a subsonic cruise missile developed by Ukraine and was initially designed as an anti-ship missile before being modified for land attack.
The missile is based on the Russian Kh-35 guided missile, which is known by NATO as AS-20 Kayak.
The missile has a maximum range of 500 km and a combat weight of 450 kilograms.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: a

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The R-360 Neptun is a subsonic cruise missile developed by Ukraine, originally designed as an anti-ship missile and later modified for land attack.

Statement 2 is correct: The missile is based on the Russian Kh-35 guided missile, which NATO designates as AS-20 Kayak.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The missile has a maximum range of 400 km, not 500 km, and a combat weight of 350 kilograms, not 450 kg.