Saudi-Ukrainian Developed Mobile Ballistic Missile to Enter Saudi Service by 2022

Saudi Arabia is likely to receive new mobile Thunder-2 short-range ballistic missile systems in 2022.

The kingdom received the first batch of components that include engines, spare parts and different warheads of the missile as part of the first phase of test programme, Defense Blog reported quoting an unnamed Saudi military source as saying Thursday.

Saudi Arabia is expected to have the first Thunder-2 ballistic missile system ready for use by 2022, the report stated.

The missile is jointly being developed by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Ukrainian Yuzhnoye Design Office and Saudi Arabia plans to conduct first firing test in September or October 2019, according the source.

The new missile, also named Grom-2, based on Ukrainian Sapsan mobile short-range ballistic missile has a range of 50-280 km and carry a variety of warheads. The warheads will have semi-active and active target seeker systems that combine electro-optical guidance system and radar tracker.