The domestic Sapsan ballistic missile demonstrated a speed of Mach 5.2 (1,769.5 meters per second) during tests, which is significantly higher than that of the American ATACMS missiles (Mach 3 or 1,500 m/s) and closer to the speed of the Russian Iskander-M (Mach 6, or 2,100 m/s).
The domestic Sapsan ballistic missile demonstrated a speed of Mach 5.2 (1,769.5 meters per second) during tests, which is significantly higher than that of the American ATACMS missiles (Mach 3 or 1,500 m/s) and closer to the speed of the Russian Iskander-M (Mach 6, or 2,100 m/s).
This was written about in an article on LIGA.net by Valentyn Badrak, director of the Center for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies.
Also, according to him, in May the Sapsan ballistic missile passed a successful combat test and is now being launched into mass production.
«Frankly speaking, success was preceded by the correct administration of this missile program. Since July 2024, a specialized Deputy Minister of Defense, Anatoly Klochko, has appeared, who became the coordinator of the program — the center of gravity has shifted from the Ministry of Strategic Industry to the Ministry of Defense. Which is logical, because it is the Ministry of Defense that is the customer of the missile and conducts all programs of specialized military-technical cooperation,» Badrak told the details.
According to him, the missile program was separated from all other developments, and the Ministry of Defense established a main department for supporting the missile program and a specialized department that coordinates policy regarding combat missiles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He added that the missile is being launched in series, and according to his interlocutors at the Ministry of Defense, there are no obstacles to this, and synchronization of actions between the defense department and the Ministry of Strategic Industry has been achieved.
Badrak recalled that the missile’s warhead weighs 480 kg.
«So we can predict that Ukraine is already on the path to missile buildup, and this is important not only for the present, but also for ensuring the future of the state and nation,» he summarized.
As we wrote earlier, according to Valentyn Badrak, in mid-May the Ukrainian army conducted a successful combat test of a new ballistic missile, which destroyed a Russian command post at a distance of about 300 km.
Previously, the head of the state-owned enterprise «Spetstechnoexport» Oleksiy Petrov predicted that by mid-2025, Ukraine would be able to begin producing its own cruise and ballistic missiles.
