Romania, following the example of other European countries, plans to develop weapons in cooperation with Ukraine, in particular, focusing on the R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile.
This was reported by Army Recognition.
In April 2023, it became known that the Ukrainian defence industry is working on modernising the R-360, although the final results of these efforts remain unknown.
Romania is seeking an alliance with Ukraine to control the Black Sea waters from its territory, and plans for a Romanian-Ukrainian military-industrial partnership are foreseen for the post-war period.
Unlike France's SCALP-EG missiles, which are air-launched, Neptune missiles are ground-based and can engage both land and sea targets with a range of up to 400 kilometres. This capability gives them a strategic role in the conflict. The missiles have been used since the beginning of the conflict, including to sink the Russian cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, in 2022.
These missiles can compete with the US ATACMS, the only other weapon with a similar range used by Kyiv.
The R-360 Neptune is a subsonic cruise missile developed by the Ukrainian design bureau Luch. It was first presented at the International Exhibition of Arms and Security in Kyiv in 2015 and adopted by the Ukrainian Navy in 2021.
It was first presented at the International Arms and Security Exhibition in Kyiv in 2015 and entered service with the Ukrainian Navy in 2021.
The Neptune missile weighs 870 kg and is 5.05 metres long and is designed to engage naval vessels with a displacement of up to 9,000 tonnes. It has a range of more than 200 kilometres and can hit sea and land targets in the land-based version. The missile is equipped with a Motor Sich MS400 turbofan engine and improved guidance and electronic systems compared to its Soviet predecessor, the X-35.
The Neptune missile system includes mobile launchers, transport and handling vehicles, command and control vehicles and special transport trucks.
The system is designed to operate at a distance of up to 25 kilometres from the coast. Neptune has demonstrated its effectiveness in combat trials and combat scenarios.
Ukraine is now working to increase the missile's range to 1,000 kilometres and increase production.