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Russia has a new land-attack cruise missile with a low-observable design, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence agency.
Russia began using the “Filin” against Ukraine in late summer of this year, according to a report published by the intelligence agency on October 22. The report also included an interactive 3D model showing the missile’s components and assembly.
The Filin is allegedly manufactured by Russian company NPO Molniya, part of Tactical Missiles Corporation. It is a ground-launched cruise missile with a reported range of up to 1,200 kilometers and a claimed top speed of 800 kilometers per hour, according to the report.
The missile measures about 3.5 meters long, with a wingspan of roughly 3 meters. Its fuselage is made from carbon- and fiberglass-reinforced composite materials, and some components are produced using 3D-printing technology. It can fly at extremely low altitudes but is also capable of climbing to about 6 kilometers. The report identified versions carrying warheads weighing 50 kilograms or 100 kilograms.
The missile is launched using a solid-propellant booster before its main jet engine takes over. Its navigation system combines an inertial navigation system with a 16-channel Kometa satellite-navigation module, which is highly resistant to jamming.
Notably, the Filin uses an R500 jet engine manufactured by Russian company Reynolds LLC. The same engine has also been identified in Russia’s S-71K Kover and S-71M Monokhrom air-launched cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian intelligence report came just a day after Russia’s state-owned Rostec corporation revealed that it is developing a new generation of attack drones designed to fly farther, faster and more autonomously, building on its Dan-T loitering munition, which the company says has capabilities comparable to cruise missiles.
Recent generations of Russian strike weapons, like the Dan-T, Geran-4 and Geran-5, have blurred the line between an attack drone and a cruise missile, mixing the range, flexibility and low cost of the first with the range and speed of the second. Ukraine’s highly depleted air defense network has been struggling to cope with these weapons. Now, the Filin represents a new threat with higher speed and longer range.
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