Ukraine debuted the launcher vehicle for the Coral surface-to-air missile system during the MSPO defense exhibition in Poland.
The system is designed to intercept aerial and ballistic targets as part of an integrated air defense architecture. According to developers, the missile can also engage radar-contrasting surface or maritime targets in exceptional operational scenarios.
The missile has a total mass of 450 kilograms, carrying a 36-kilogram warhead. Its guidance suite integrates an inertial navigation system, radio correction, and an active radar homing head. Physical parameters include a diameter of 230/300 millimeters, a length of 4.8 meters, a wing span of 835 millimeters, and a control fin span of 685 millimeters.
Research and development work on the Coral project commenced in 2016, initially conceived as a naval-based air defense missile system. The project gained wider public exposure in 2021 when the State Kyiv Design Bureau “Luch” exhibited a full-scale mockup at the “Arms and Security 2021” exhibition as a modular missile intended for land-based and naval systems, with potential air-to-air application, reports Militarnyi.
Early design iterations featured more compact specifications, including a 30-kilometer engagement range, a 10-kilometer altitude ceiling, an approximate mass of 300 kilograms, and a 25-kilogram warhead, measuring 4.33 meters in length and 230/260 millimeters in diameter. Developers previously noted that final specifications remained adaptable to specific customer requirements, emphasizing component modularity and standardization.
In 2021, general designer Oleh Korostoviov estimated the system’s overall development maturity at approximately 70 percent, with plans to establish a layered family of air defense systems spanning ranges of up to 10, 40, and 100 kilometers, positioned to occupy the mid-range operational tier.
