Rockets by Thales for Ukraine will be equipped with a new warhead
7 November, 2024 FZ123. Photo credits: Forces Operations Blog. The rockets, which Ukraine has signed a memorandum with Thales Belgium to jointly produce, will be equipped with a new warhead.
It is specially designed to effectively counter drones. It is a 70-mm FZ275 LGR rocket with an FZ123 warhead, according to the Forces Operations Blog. This warhead was presented this summer at the Eurosatory exhibition.
It consists of an explosive charge and several thousand steel balls. The media noted that the rocket, which has a range of up to 3,000 meters, will provide the Ukrainian military with an intermediate solution between the use of large-caliber machine guns to shoot down Russian Shahed/Geran-2 kamikaze drones while also saving expensive anti-aircraft missiles. In early November, Ukraine's Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin announced that the Belgian company Thales Belgium would help Ukraine jointly produce rockets to counter drones.
FZ123.
Photo credits: Forces Operations Blog.
A memorandum signed between Ukraine and Thales Belgium outlines that the Belgian company will help Ukraine organize joint production of 70mm rockets. According to Smetanin, this cooperation may expand in the future to include the transfer of relevant technologies to Ukraine for the independent production of FZ275 LGR rockets. The FZ275 LGR is currently the most technologically advanced version of the FZ90 unguided air-to-air rocket.
The Belgian company Forges de Zeebrugge developed the rocket manufactured at the Erstal arms factory in Belgium.
The FZ275 Semi-Active Laser Guided Rocket by the Belgian company Thales Belgium. Photo credits: Thales Belgium.
The FZ275 Semi-Active Laser Guided Rocket was tested in 2015.
The FZ275 Semi-Active Laser Guided Rocket by the Belgian company Thales Belgium. Photo credits: Thales Belgium.
Due to its unified caliber of 70 mm, this rocket will be able to be used with Vampire systems, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine use to intercept Russian drones.
Ukrainian troops also use American rockets with the APKWS Precision Guidance Kit.