Ukraine unveils new RK-19 air defense missile to replace Soviet-era weapons
Osa-AKM (photo: Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
The RK-19 anti-aircraft missile, which Ukroboronprom presented at the MSPO exhibition in Poland, is designed to be used with the Osa-AKM system to replace Soviet 9M33-series missiles, stocks of which are running low in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Militarnyi reports.
Characteristics of the RK-19 missile
The missile was first presented in a video address by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the occasion of Arms Makers' Day in April 2026.
The target interception range is up to 10 kilometers, while the maximum engagement altitude is up to 5 kilometers. The maximum flight speed reaches 600 meters per second.
RK-19 at the MSPO exhibition (photo: Militarnyi)
Like its Soviet counterparts, the RK-19 uses a radio-command guidance system. The launch container together with the missile weighs 163 kilograms, and its dimensions are 3255×320×303 millimeters. The missile's warhead weighs 14.3 kilograms.
RK-19 at the MSPO exhibition (photo: Militarnyi)
What Osa-AKM crews are currently armed with
The Osa-AKM is an all-weather Soviet anti-aircraft missile system designed to protect troops and important facilities from aircraft and cruise missiles. This particular modification forms the basis of the fleet of this type of anti-aircraft missile system in service with the Ukrainian military.
The self-propelled launcher of the anti-aircraft missile system, when fully combat-equipped, carries six 9M33M3 guided anti-aircraft missiles. The 9M33M3 missile weighs 126.3 kilograms, of which 15 kilograms is the warhead. Its length is 3158 millimeters, the body diameter is 206 millimeters, and the wingspan is 650 millimeters. Guidance is provided by a radio-command system.
The missile's maximum flight speed reaches 500 meters per second. The target detection range is up to 45 kilometers. The engagement zone by range is from 1,500 to 10,000 meters, by altitude from 25 to 5,000 meters, and by course parameter ±6,000 meters. The missile is capable of engaging targets moving at speeds of up to 500 meters per second and maneuvering with overloads of up to 8 units.
The shortage of air defense ammunition this year is systemic: in August, the president stated that supplies of air defense missiles had decreased threefold compared with 2025, and this concerned not only the summer period but all previous months as well.
Against the backdrop of a shortage of standard ammunition, Ukrainian developers are also looking for alternative solutions to counter aerial threats. Participants in the Brave1 platform recently demonstrated technology for intercepting Russian Banderol missile-drones that is significantly cheaper than the enemy missile itself.
