Ukrainian company unveils project for Shershen air defence system supporting five missile types
Radionix, a Ukrainian defence industry company, has presented a project for the Shershen (Hornet), a multi-calibre anti-aircraft missile system, at the World Defence Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military news outlet
Details: Radionix is a member of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI).
The Shershen air defence missile system has been tested with five types of missiles: Soviet-era, foreign-made and Ukrainian-made.
Quote from NAUDI Director Serhii Honcharov: "This eliminates dependence on a single supplier, as they operate in a competitive environment and aim to tie the customer to them for decades. Hypothetically, you could have launchers but no missiles, and the volume of missile production is, first, limited, and second, becomes more expensive every year."
More details: The Shershen anti-aircraft missile system comprises a radar control station, launchers, loading vehicles and transport and loading vehicles.
The launcher is based on the Israeli-made Barak air defence missile system. This means it does not need to fire from the vehicle. Using a "multilift" system, a mechanism that lifts and moves the launcher, the unit can be removed from the platform and deployed on the ground, enabling the vehicle to relocate afterwards.
The system does not rely on a single radar station.
Honcharov also explained that the system can be adapted to different radar stations at the customer's request and is not strictly tied to any specific manufacturer.
The control system was designed for flexibility. Honcharov said it is at least three times cheaper than its overseas counterparts.
The Shershen air defence system can also operate with Krechet, a command-and-control system produced by Ukrainian Armor. It receives data from other radars and air target detection sources.
The engagement range depends on the type of missile. The launcher model in the transport position is equipped with R-27 missiles. In the R-27ET1 variant, which features a heat-seeking warhead, these missiles are used on the Indian Samar-2 air defence system, where the engagement range against airborne targets does not exceed 20 km.
The missile system falls into the short-range category in terms of capabilities. Militarnyi draws comparisons with the German IRIS-T SLM and the Norwegian-American NASAMS.
Background:
- Ukraine has ordered 18 additional IRIS-T air defence systems from the German manufacturer Diehl Defence. The Ukrainian Armed Forces already operate nine IRIS-T systems. The company also announced that it plans to increase production of launchers for the IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS versions in 2026.
- Norway has partnered with Ukraine to integrate Ukrainian-made interceptor missiles into NASAMS air defence systems.
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