Ukraine may receive a new super-missile from NATO with a range up to the Crimea

Ukraine is in talks with NATO member Poland to acquire the Naval Strike missile (NSM) – a long-range weapon that can strike Russian targets in Crimea.

Polish media reported that the country is negotiating with the Ukrainian side regarding the possibility of Warsaw’s delivery of the Naval Strike long-range coastal defense missile system to Kiev.

Specifically, the source said the negotiation process is in an advanced stage. Ukraine wants to acquire Naval Strike missiles from the Polish arsenal. The delivery of missiles may be funded by the European Union, so the stock of missiles in Warsaw will be compensated after the assistance.

According to experts, the Naval Strike is a defensive missile system, but a powerful weapon that could give Ukraine the ability to strike sea and land targets at a distance of 124 miles (about 200 kilometers).

This means that with this long-range missile, Ukraine can hit a coastal target in Crimea – a region of strategic importance in Russia’s special military operation.

Recently, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking military facilities in Crimea with suicide boats and drones. However, the Naval Strike missile is much more powerful than the above weapons.

Developed by Norwegian contractor Kongsberg, the Naval Strike is made from a robust composite material with radar ray absorption capabilities, helping to reduce signal exposure and incorporating highly advanced equipment to improve the probability of hitting a target.

The missile uses a guidance system that combines an inertial guidance system with a digital map reference through a global positioning system (GPS).

During the launch phase, the missile flies into the sea at a very low altitude, in the terminal phase, the missile performs random maneuvers, which makes it difficult for the ship’s air defense systems to intercept it.

Missiles applying the fire and forget principle, even when fired from maximum range, are guided to the target by a passive infrared sensor capable of automatically detecting and identifying the target, selecting it from a group of ships as a designated target.

If Ukraine deployed Naval Strike, it would have a strong defense against the Russian Navy and threaten Moscow’s important targets at close range.

The Polish Army currently has two fully equipped Naval Strike systems. Each system is equipped with 2 kits, each consisting of 3 launch vehicles capable of carrying up to 4 missiles and command and control vehicles.

In addition, the system also has command vehicles, a mobile communications center, and a circular vision radar for detecting and tracking targets, as well as other means of assurance.

The Naval Strike can be considered a multi-role missile, but its cost is very high, as it exceeds 2 million US dollars, which is 3-4 times more expensive than the “Storm Shadow” cruise missile that Britain provided to Ukraine before.