- Category
- War in Ukraine
Old Soviet R-60 Missiles Get a Digital Upgrade in Ukraine’s DRAGON Air Defense System
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine is testing upgraded R-60 air-to-air missiles adapted for ground-based air defense, a representative of the Center of Innovative Technologies Program told Militarnyi on June 17.
The company said the modernization focuses on the missile’s homing seeker.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“The first test has already been carried out. From the ground, the missile can hit targets at a distance of up to 6.5 kilometers,” the company said.
During the upgrade of the R-60MK and other missile variants, analog components were replaced with digital systems. According to the company, this significantly improves the sensitivity of the missile’s outdated infrared homing seeker.
The missile is also being adapted for launch from ground-based platforms. This would allow Ukraine to make more effective use of Soviet-era missiles that remain in service or storage.
In the Chernihiv region, an elevated radiation level was detected in the wreckage of a downed Shahed drone. Radiation was found in an R-60 missile mounted on the UAV. The missile’s warhead reportedly contained damaging elements made of depleted Uranium-235 and Uranium-238. A… pic.twitter.com/t0BcTSlL3i
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) May 20, 2026
One of the systems designed for this role is DRAGON, a ground-based launcher developed by the Center of Innovative Technologies Program for R-60 missiles and other air-to-air weapons.
The DRAGON launcher carries three infrared-guided air-to-air missiles. The system can be deployed in about 15 minutes, operate in active mode for up to eight hours, or remain on standby for up to 14 days.
The R-60 is a small Soviet short-range guided air-to-air missile developed in the late 1960s. It was originally designed to strike maneuvering aerial targets at short distances.
The missile uses an infrared seeker that locks onto the heat signature of enemy aircraft or helicopter engines.
In Ukraine, the R-60 is being modernized and adapted for new missions, including use as part of ground-based air defense systems.
Russia has previously mounted a Soviet-era R-60 air-to-air missile onto a jet-powered version of the Shahed drone—named “Geran-4”—potentially increasing the threat to Ukrainian aircraft.
Earlier, Ukraine unveiled a new uncrewed surface vessel (USV) called Sirena at the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition in Paris. The platform is designed for maritime electronic warfare missions and can also carry AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles adapted for naval use.
Discuss this article:
-9a7b3a98ed5c506e0b77a6663f5727c5.png)
