Third Assault Brigade Adapts R-73 Missiles for Mobile Air Defense

20 March, 2025 Mobile air defense missile system with R-73 missiles of the Third Separate Assault Brigade. March 2025. Ukraine.

Source: Maksym Zaichenko The Third Separate Assault Brigade has received a new anti-aircraft missile system with R-73 missiles. Brigade soldier Maksym Zaichenko said it is designed for short-range action.

"Despite the venerable age of the equipment and limited tactical and technical characteristics, we find opportunities to modernize and implement the latest approaches," said Zaichenko. As a result, the brigade managed to create a surface-to-air missile system that successfully performs combat missions to cover units. The system, based on a classified platform, was adapted for the use of R-73 air-to-air guided missiles from the ground.

Mobile air defense missile system with R-73 missiles of the Third Separate Assault Brigade.

March 2025. Ukraine. Source: Maksym Zaichenko

The air defense missile has a certain advantage because it works on a "fire and forget" basis, it does not need to be escorted like some other air defense missiles.

This allows the air defense system to immediately change its position after firing, so as not to expose itself to a retaliatory strike. The R-73 missile, depending on the variant, can engage targets in the front hemisphere at a distance of 20 (RMD-1) to 40 (RMD-2) kilometers, and in the rear hemisphere - up to 300 meters. This is not the first time in Ukraine that R-73 missiles have been adapted to ground launchers.

R-73 guided air-to-air missile

Previously, the Come Back Alive Foundation modernized the Osa anti-aircraft missile systems for the Defense Forces as part of the HORNET project.

After the modernization, the systems can operate not only with standard 9M33M3 surface-to-air missiles, which are currently in short supply, but also with R-73 missiles, which Ukraine currently has in abundance.

9K33M3 Osa SAM of the Ukrainian military with R-73 air-to-air missiles.

2023-2024.

Source: Come Back Alive Foundation

Militarnyi also reported on the successful use of the British short-range air defense system ASRAAM, which works on a similar principle.