Ukraine’s Long Neptune outshines Europe’s only 1,000-km cruise missile - video

He analyzed the characteristics of the two earlier Neptune models in an interview.

“Let’s start with the Long Neptune, whose characteristics have recently been revealed," he said.

"There was an exhibition in Kyiv — not a defense exhibition but a general showcase of Ukraine’s achievements. There was a booth from the state weapons portal ‘Zbroya,’ where a 3D model of the Long Neptune was displayed, along with its specs. The key point is that Long Neptune has a confirmed range of 1,000 km. This is the flight range; the strike depth is lower because the missile flies a complex route.

The warhead weighs 260 kg. For the standard Neptune — the anti-ship missile that sank Moskva cruiser — the warhead weighs 150 kg. This increase is very positive, especially for a missile with longer range. Usually, to extend range you sacrifice warhead weight to free up mass for more fuel. But with Long Neptune, both the range and the warhead weight were increased — from 150 to 260 kg.”

Katkov highlighted that this makes Long Neptune superior to Europe’s only comparable cruise missile — the French MdCN, which also has a 1,000-km range.

“The MdCN’s warhead weighs, as of various sources, 250–300 kg, so it’s roughly in the same class as Long Neptune with its 260 kg," he explained.
"Their ranges are the same — 1,000 km.
Regarding guidance systems: the MdCN is based on the Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and clearly uses the same navigation and targeting systems. But both Long Neptune and the standard Neptune have already successfully struck targets in Russia, which shows their systems are fully adequate.”

He noted an important distinction in both missiles' deployment.

“Long Neptune is a land-based missile that can be launched from a ground-based launcher, and if necessary, installed on a ship.
In contrast, MdCN is ship-launched. To fire it from land, the French will need until 2028 to adapt it," he said.

"So the comparison is clear: which is better — a versatile land-launched missile with a 1,000-km range and similar warhead, or one built exclusively for ships and submarines like the Barracuda (or Suffren) class, using the A-70 Sylver vertical launch system?
Objectively, the more versatile Long Neptune has the advantage.”

"That’s why the conclusion that Ukraine has developed a better missile than anything Europe has produced in the long-range category seems fairly obvious to me.”

He also highlighted cost and production advantages:

“Even in terms of cost and production cycles, the French, over about 10 years, have reportedly made around 200 MdCN missiles — according to open sources.
Their production cycle is clearly longer than that of Neptune.
So the choice seems obvious, even without patriotic reasons — just based on facts.”

He disclosed some details on all three Neptune missiles modifications.

“We now have three Neptunes:
– the standard R-360 anti-ship missile,
– the Long Neptune with a 1,000-km range,
– and the new Chubby Neptune, which has noticeable bulges on the sides.

The only logical explanation for these bulges is additional fuel tanks integrated into the body. They’re not jettisoned; they’re part of the missile’s structure, protruding beyond the standard diameter.”

“The Long Neptune is about 1.5 meters longer and has a larger diameter — 50 cm vs. 38 cm for the standard Neptune.

The Chubby Neptune is similar in size to the standard Neptune except for these extra side tanks. The purpose is clear: more fuel means greater range — or the same range but with a heavier warhead.”

Katkov speculated about the new missile’s role:

“If the standard R-360 Neptune flies about 300 km, and the Long Neptune 1,000 km, then the logical ‘gap’ to fill is around 500 km.
So my cautious assumption is that the Chubby Neptune either flies roughly 500 km, or maintains the 300-km range but carries a significantly heavier warhead than the baseline version.”