Ukraine's Vilkha-M missile system will be able to hit targets almost twice as far away as HIMARS with GMLRS missiles - upgraded missiles with a range of 150km are being developed

New rockets will be developed for the Ukrainian Vilkha-M multiple launch rocket system, which will almost double the range of the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS. This is reported by the US publication The War Zone.

Here's What We Know

Vilkha is a Ukrainian tactical missile system that uses 300mm calibre corrected ammunition. It is based on the Soviet Smerch multiple-launch rocket system.

Even before the full-scale invasion, testing of the Vilkha-M system, which uses missiles with a launch range of 110km, began. The projectile is 7.6 metres long. According to The War Zone, the launch range will be increased to 150km.

This means that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be able to hit enemy targets at twice the range of the highly mobile M142 HIMARS systems. They use high-precision GMLRS rockets with a maximum launch range of about 80km.

The head of the National Defence Industry Association of Ukraine, Ivan Vinnyk, confirmed that the Vilkha-M multiple-launch rocket system is used on the battlefield. However, he did not answer the question on which direction of the front.

In a conversation with The War Zone journalists, Vinnyk noted that the modernisation programme began in 2018. Since then, around 100 missiles have been fired for the Vilkha-M. They were first used in May 2022. Vinnyk added that the emergence of the upgraded missiles with a launch range of 150km is expected by the expected date of the counterattack in southern Ukraine.

Questions about the possible use of the Vilkha-M resurfaced last week when the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol was shelled. The city is about 80km from the front line. Ivan Vinnyk would not say which missiles were used for the attack.

Source: The War Zone