Ukraine unveils balloon-launched missile designed to evade electronic warfare
Ukrainian DART missile for aerostats (Photo: Center of Innovative Technologies Program)
In Ukraine, a unique DART missile has been created, launched directly from stratospheric aerostats. The main feature of the development is its complete resistance to enemy electronic warfare systems, according to the Militarnyi portal.
Engineers from the Center of Innovative Technologies Program have developed an air-launch system. The missile is lifted into the sky on special balloons, and launches take place at high altitude: in the range of 12 to 18 kilometers.
Special servos are responsible for activation accuracy. They maintain a stable flight trajectory. The system operates reliably under any release conditions.
What are the features of the DART missile?
The DART missile has compact dimensions: its body length is 1.84 meters. The product's own weight is only 13 kilograms.
The weight of the warhead depends on the specific mission. It ranges from 3.5 to 10 kilograms, and the charge includes special graphite penetrating elements.
The DART's greatest advantage is its invulnerability to EW. The developers applied a clever control algorithm: initially, the missile uses a navigation system, but at a certain point along the trajectory, everything changes. When the missile descends to an altitude of about 6 kilometers, the navigation is switched off.
At that moment, the solid-fuel engine activates, and the DART continues toward the target without changing course. Since the electronic signal reception systems are not operating, enemy jammers cannot affect them. The missile becomes physically unreachable for radio-electronic influence.
Future plans
The project is the result of a partnership: the aerostats themselves are produced by the developer company's partners. The weapon is currently being prepared for official recognition.
In the near future, the DART will undergo codification procedures with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This will open the way for state orders.
The company plans to create a full-fledged ballistic missile. The developers are also working on a surface-to-air version for air defense.
More about Ukrainian defense industry innovations
The Minister of Defense of Ukraine has confirmed the development of powerful ballistic weapons for strikes deep into Russian-occupied territory.
"Ukrainian ballistic missiles will change everything in this war. They will fundamentally change Ukraine's status in the world. We've already changed it many times, but this is a completely different league," he stated.
The Ukrainian company Fire Point has also fully completed work on the FP-7.x anti-ballistic missile – it has already passed tests.
