The Chairman of the national space Agency of Ukraine Pavel Degtyarenko has announced that, at the end of 2019, Ukraine will start tests of a new home-made tactical missile system nicknamed “Thunder”.

The new Ukrainian-made GROM-2 TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) surface-to-surface ballistic missile (Picture source: Mil.in.ua)

Work continues on the rocket, but unexpected technological and financial difficulties are slowing the development down. “However, we expect that, by the end of next year, it will be possible to demonstrate this property in action,” said Degtyarenko.

According to him, the creation of a new missile system is in compliance with all, without exception, international limitation regimes, in terms of  missile range. The operational-tactical missile system “Thunder” is designed to destroy targets situated in the tactical depth of the enemy at a distance of 280 km.

The timing of deliveries of the new “Thunder” missile depends in particular on the development progress achieved in the military and technical cooperation needed to establish an export version in the interest of foreign partners, it is said.

Beside this project, the news has already circulated concerning Ukroboronprom to start an upgraded variant of the “Pechora” air defense system.