Ukrainian air defense uses the FrankenSAM system for the first time – Kamyshin
17 January, 2024 Illustrative photo of the 2P25 launcher from the Kub anti-aircraft missile system with installed RIM-7 Sea Sparrow. Photo credits: Raytheon/WZU-2 For the first time, the Ukrainian air defense used the FrankenSAM system against enemy drones.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, stated this at a briefing in Davos. The system shot down an Iranian Shahed kamikaze drone from a distance of 9 kilometers. The Minister added that all systems of the FrankenSAM project have already been deployed.
The Minister did not name a specific system that was modernized within the FrankenSAM project.
Illustrative photo of Shahed kamikaze UAV. Photo from open sources
FrankenSAM
Within the FrankenSAM project (a combination of the words "Frankenstein" and "SAM" - ed.), the United States helped Ukraine obtain two types of anti-aircraft missile systems capable of using Western missiles. In particular, it was possible to create an air defense system capable of firing AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles.
The improvised anti-aircraft system was built using radars and other components provided by the US and Ukrainian allies. The collaboration between American and Ukrainian engineers has resulted in a technical solution that will allow the Buk air defense system to fire RIM-7 missiles. The United States has a large number of such anti-aircraft missiles, while the number of available original Buk missiles is already limited.
Americans expect that FrankenSAM will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian air defense system.
Illustrative photo of the launch of the MIM-104 missile. Photo from open sources
In total, the Armed Forces plan to modernize 17 launchers, but the American industry is able to process only 5 launchers per month. It was also reported that within the program, American developers managed to integrate Patriot anti-aircraft missiles with the old Soviet air defense system.
A new anti-aircraft "Frankenstein" was able to hit a drone with American missiles.
The tests took place at the White Sands test site in New Mexico.
The missile was integrated with both the launcher and the Ukrainian-made radar station.