Ukraine shows Finnish air defense systems in action

"Every day, our defenders hunt down enemy aerial threats. There is no room for chance in this fight — only cold calculation, instant reaction, a high level of professionalism, and skills honed through combat experience. Crotale brings power and quality in protecting Ukrainian skies," the anti-aircraft missile regiment said.

What is known about the Crotale air defense systems

Crotale is a French all-weather, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to engage aerial targets at medium, low, and extremely low altitudes. It can be used to defend strategically important strongholds, command centers, and missile launch sites, as well as to provide direct protection for military formations.

The Crotale system was developed by French company Thomson-CSF/Matra and comes in two configurations: a mobile ground-based version and a ship-based version. The system has undergone several upgrades since its development.

Finnish version of the air defense system

The Ilmatorjuntaohjus 90M is a Finnish version of the French system. Its main distinguishing feature is the use of a Sisu XA-181 armored personnel carrier chassis with a 6x6 wheel configuration instead of French-made vehicles.

The ItO 90M is reported to be capable of detecting aerial targets at distances of up to 20 km. Its primary weapon is the VT-1 missile, which reaches a speed of around 1,200 m/s, has a range of up to 11 km, and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 6 km.

Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian troops used the Skynex air defense system to shoot down more than a dozen Shahed attack drones and a cruise missile in a single night.

We also reported that Germany supplied Ukraine with a Skynex air defense system as part of a new military aid package that included other weapons.