As part of the implementation of the President of Ukraine’s directive to counter russia’s ballistic missile programme, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) publishes on the War&Sanctions portal an interactive 3D model, information on the components and electronic component base of the RM-48U missile of the S-400 “Triumf” surface-to-air missile system, the enterprises involved in its production, key personnel, as well as foreign equipment used by these enterprises.

In order to expand the range of missile weapons used to strike targets across Ukraine, the enemy is restoring decommissioned surface-to-air guided missiles and target missiles for the S-400 system and upgrading them to the level of strike missiles.

The new russian ballistic “Frankenstein” features a solid-fuel engine from the 48N6DM surface-to-air guided missile (S-400), a tail section from the export 48N6E2 surface-to-air missile (S-300 PMU1/2, S-400), while the instrument compartment of the RM-48U consists of individual elements from the 9M96 and 48N6E2 missiles.

RM-48U is a single-stage missile with a solid-fuel engine that follows a ballistic trajectory at a speed of 4–6 Mach and has an operational range of up to 400 km. The missile is equipped with a 199 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead with pre-formed fragmentation elements (cubes).

Navigation and guidance are carried out using an autonomous strapdown inertial navigation system and a satellite navigation system based on Kometa-R12 receivers (which the russians have this time dubbed a space-based system — PKNS).

To strike ground targets at tactical and operational depths using surface-to-air missiles, the enemy has specifically established separate units (groups), namely: the Special Tactical Missile Group (STRG), equipped with RM-48U missiles using radio-command guidance, and the Special Operational Missile Group (SORG), equipped with RM-48U missiles using satellite guidance.

The range of the former, used as part of the STRG, is limited by the radio horizon and the capabilities of the S-400 system’s illumination and guidance radar. Therefore, in most cases, the enemy uses autonomous RM-48U missiles equipped with satellite navigation systems as part of the SORG.

The electronic component base of the missile’s electronic units contains the standard mix by country of origin found in Russian weaponry. The largest share — 95 out of 117 components — comes from the United States, 4 from Taiwan, 3 from Switzerland, and 2 each from Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea. Among the newly identified components is a laser diode manufactured by the French company 3SP TECHNOLOGIES.

Today, we are also adding information on 63 Russian enterprises involved in the production cooperation chain for these missiles, the officials and employees of the main enterprises, as well as foreign equipment used by these companies.

The aggressor state continues to expand its range of weapons used for warfare and terror. The experience gained from their use against Ukraine may be applied in new wars and conflicts not only by russia, but also by its allies — Iran and North Korea.

The efforts of the civilised world must be consolidated to deprive aggressors of access to technology.