During a demonstration of the Ukrainian defense industry's capabilities to NATO representatives, a previously unmentioned variant of the Neptune cruise missile was publicly unveiled.
One of the photos published by Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal, shows an R-360 missile with rather unusual bulges in the middle of its body. Due to the lack of an official designation and the reactions on social media, this variant can be referred to as Bulky Neptune.
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It differs from the two known variants of this missile—the anti-ship R-360 and the RK360L, whose specifications are known, also called the Long Neptune (more likely designated R-360L).
Unfortunately, the photo's angle makes it impossible to accurately compare all three missile variants. However, it can be noted that the diameter of the Bulky Neptune matches that of the anti-ship variant (38 cm), and most likely its wingspan and overall length do as well (4.5 meters without the booster).
The bulges are most likely fuel tanks, which increase the missile's range. It should be noted that the R-360 has a declared range of 280 km, while the Long Neptune has a range of 1,000 km.
Therefore, it would be quite logical to assume that Bulky Neptune flies 500 km.
Alternatively, designers may have increased the warhead size, reducing fuel and the missile’s range. It is possible that this missile maintains a 300 km range but carries a heavier warhead of over 150 kg, similar to the R-360 anti-ship missile. Against this background, it is worth recalling that the Long Neptune has a declared warhead weight of 260 kg.
Demonstrating the Neptune to European partners is crucial for attracting investment in its production, especially since the Long Neptune outperforms Europe's only long-range cruise missile, the MdCN.
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