Ukrainian company presents Shershen air-defence system and R-120K surface-to-air missile at exhibition in Poland – photos

A company belonging to the Ukrainian Defence Industry Association NAUDI has presented the Shershen ("Hornet") multi-calibre surface-to-air missile system, armed with Western and Ukrainian-made missiles.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda learned about the new development at the MSPO-2026 exhibition in Poland.

Details: The developer has presented the first operational components of the new missile system, which consists of the Perun combat control vehicle, the Athena radar for detecting and tracking targets and four Borei launchers.

A key feature of the Shershen is its open architecture, which makes it possible to use existing air-to-air missiles from different manufacturers and allows third-party surveillance and guidance radars to be integrated.

The system is claimed to be capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles and drones at ranges of up to 25 kilometres and altitudes of up to 10,000 metres. The system's radar can detect targets within a radius of 85 km, while its number of engagement channels allows up to six launched missiles to be guided towards targets simultaneously.

"At present, we can launch R-27, R-73, AIM-9 and AIM-132 missiles, and we can also try the R-60. Any air-to-air missiles with semi-active radar or infrared homing heads."

The system on display is the second operational prototype and is close to its production configuration. It has successfully completed the initial stages of testing, including shooting down targets at a testing range.

The launcher is loaded with the Ukrainian R-120K air-to-air missile. It is equipped with a radar homing seeker and can be used both from aircraft and by ground-based air-defence systems. The missile is currently undergoing design work, including development of its rocket motor.

Background: At the same exhibition, the Ukrainian Luch Design Bureau presented the RK-19 missile, developed for Osa air-defence systems. The bureau also unveiled for the first time the RK-2PZ surface-to-air missile, developed on the basis of the Barrier anti-tank missile.

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