Ukraine is developing a Patriot-level Kilceni SAM system

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has faced a severe shortage of modern air defense systems capable of effectively countering missile strikes, drones, and aircraft.

Due to the limited supply of Western systems like the Patriot, Ukraine decided to develop its own long-range surface-to-air missile system (SAM) — Kilchen.

The project is being developed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. Kilchen is designed as a fully Ukrainian system, incorporating radars, command posts, launchers, and missiles — all domestically produced. The system will be capable of intercepting aircraft and cruise missiles at ranges up to 280 km, and ballistic targets at distances up to 44 km. Its radar stations will detect subsonic targets at up to 400 km and supersonic ones at about 130 km. Kilchen will be able to simultaneously track up to 16 targets, launching up to two missiles per aerodynamic target and up to four per ballistic target.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized that the system would be no worse than the American Patriot.

In terms of its design, Kilchen is intended to be Ukraine’s answer to the American Patriot system. However, it currently lags in terms of technological readiness, system integration, and the number of successful tests. According to the developers, creating the first prototype will take about five years and over 7 billion UAH. The estimated cost of one full system is around $150 million. Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, the project was in the early stages of design and modeling. After the invasion, work reportedly accelerated.

Missiles and Target Types

The development includes several missile variants:

• Kilchen-MD — a medium-range missile (up to 70 km) with infrared and radar homing, intended to intercept cruise missiles and UAVs.

• Kilchen-LR — a long-range missile with a range of 150–200 km, using an active radar seeker and dual-mode propulsion system.

• Kilchen-ABM — an interceptor with a kinetic warhead designed to engage ballistic targets at ranges up to 300 km and altitudes up to 40 km.

The missiles are expected to use cold vertical launch technology, inertial navigation with GPS/GNSS correction, and mid-course guidance with terminal active homing.

Operating Principles of the Kilchen SAM

Kilchen will be built around a radar equipped with an active phased array antenna (AESA), capable of simultaneous detection, tracking, and illumination of targets for missile guidance. The system will follow a modular architecture: each battery will include up to six mobile vertical launchers, a command post, and a radar station. Vertical launches will provide 360-degree coverage. Missile guidance will be based on inertial navigation with radio correction and a final phase of self-guidance. This approach enables effective interception of maneuvering targets while reducing radar load.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has consistently prioritized the development of its own air defense capabilities. In July 2023, Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin announced that the Kilchen project had completed its first flight tests. In January 2024, Deputy Minister of Defense Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk confirmed that developing long-range air defense systems (100 km or more) remains a top priority.

Recent remarks by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi suggest that the project has advanced significantly, possibly nearing the testing or pre-production stage. His statement that the system is “no worse than Patriot” likely reflects Ukraine’s ambition to achieve a comparable level of protection with limited resources — rather than full technical parity with the American system.

The development of a domestic long-range SAM is a strategically vital goal for Ukraine. Kilchen has the potential to become the foundation of an independent air defense architecture. However, the success of the program will depend not only on technical expertise but also on stable funding. Its advancement during wartime highlights the ambition and maturity of Ukraine’s defense industry in the field of air defense.