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Russia Revives Long-Dead “Morpheus” Air Defense—But This Time It’s Hiding in a Shipping Container
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian air-defense firm Almaz-Antey appears to be reviving elements of the long-stalled 42S6 “Morpheus” project—this time around with a fixed, containerized vertical-launch module that could carry 16 missiles, according to newly circulated images and expert commentary, according to Ukrainian defense media Defense Express on October 20.
The new launcher is shown as a self-contained shipping-style unit with room for a rack of missiles and an internal generator and remote-control electronics.
That configuration suggests a stationary, remotely managed launcher that could be moved on a truck if needed but would normally sit in place—a model closer in concept to dispersed NASAMS-type architectures than to a self-contained mobile battery.
Morpheus itself dates back to 2007 and was intended as a short-range system to shield higher-tier systems like the S-400 and S-500.
Early plans envisioned vehicles on the BAZ-69092 chassis, an array radar, command vehicles and a 24-round launcher with its own small radar and optical targeting gear. The program fell silent years ago and was widely believed frozen or shelved.
Now, Defense Express notes, renewed interest makes sense given the explosive rise of loitering strike drones since 2022 and the resulting demand for cheaper, scalable point-defense solutions.
Publicly available pictures credit Btvt.info and show the container lacking an organic radar or command post; instead, those sensors appear intended to sit separately, several kilometers away, and to control launchers remotely.
That layout would let operators disperse launchers around critical sites—cities, energy nodes or likely drone corridors—while central radars and command posts provide the sensor and decision layer.
Missile type remains uncertain. Internet commentary has floated the 9M338K (developed for Tor-2M) as a candidate; that round is sometimes cited with engagement ranges to roughly 16 km and altitudes to 10 km.
But previous Morpheus specifications were much shorter-range—roughly 6 km and altitudes to 3.5 km—reflecting a role as a near-defense, short-reach layer.
Whatever missile is chosen, the container launch concept appears aimed at a lower-cost, mass-fieldable shield optimized for defending fixed rear-area targets against cheap, massed attack drones.
Earlier, Russia tested an automated air defense system based on the ZU-23-2 twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun, part of a broader effort to strengthen local defenses against long-range Ukrainian drone attacks.
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