On the morning of November 14, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy published the first video of the launch of the Long Neptune missile, which has the index P-360L. The video was likely taken on the night of November 14, during an attack on the russian port city of Novorossiysk.
The published video reveals the appearance of the new launcher, which has undergone significant changes. The R-360L Long Neptune is significantly larger than the conventional R-360 Neptune, so the standard launcher is not suitable for it.
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According to available data, the length of the Long Neptune is over 6 meters (without the booster). This means that it is approximately 1.5 meters longer than the standard R-360. In addition, it has increased not only in length but also in diameter: the central section of the R-360L measures roughly 50 cm, compared to 38 cm in the standard variant. The wingspan has also been increased.
That is why a new launcher was needed. The Long Neptune is to be placed in new large transport and launch containers. Their shape has been changed, and they are now rectangular rather than tube-shaped.
The new launcher also uses an 8×8 wheeled Tatra 815-7 chassis. However, it appears to have been slightly lengthened, and several components behind the cab have been removed, providing more space for the transport-and-launch containers. At the same time, the cab appears to have remained the same.
The video shows that the launcher carries only two, or possibly just one, transport-and-launch container. However, this is unlikely to reflect its maximum load capacity and instead suggests that only loaded containers were installed.
As for the damage these missiles caused in Novorossiysk, a rather impressive video of the explosion has appeared online.
OSINT analysts from CyberBoroshno geolocated the strike site as the military unit of the 1537th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment. The strike likely hit the position of the S-400 or S-300 air defense missile system.
It is worth noting that there are currently three known variants of the Neptune missile, though Western analysts have counted up to four. The latest variant to be revealed is the Bulky Neptune with strange bulges, which is likely to be designated R-360M.
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