Shershen’s Athena radar is reported to detect targets at ranges of up to 85 kilometers — a striking figure for a system explicitly built around repurposed air-to-air interceptors.
MSPO-2026 unveiling in Kielce, Poland
The National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries (NAUDI) displayed a second operational prototype of Shershen at the MSPO-2026 defense exhibition in Kielce. The example shown was described by organizers as close to a production configuration and included a launcher presented for the first time. Radionix is named as the developer of the launcher showcased at the event.
Shershen architecture: Perun command vehicle, Athena radar, Borei launchers
The system is presented as a battery comprising a Perun command-and-control vehicle, an Athena surveillance radar, and four Borei launchers. The developer describes the architecture as deliberately open: the design permits integration of third-party surveillance and guidance radars and aims to be interceptor-agnostic so different missiles from different manufacturers can be employed from the same launcher interface.
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See what we buildMissile compatibility: R-27, R-73, AIM-9, AIM-132, R-60, and the R-120K
According to the developer and NAUDI materials, Shershen can currently accept a mix of Soviet-origin and Western air-to-air missiles adapted for ground launch. The company states compatibility with the R-27 (AA-10 Alamo), R-73 (AA-11 Archer), AIM-9 Sidewinder, and AIM-132 ASRAAM, and says compatibility with the R-60 is being explored. One Borei launcher shown at MSPO was armed with an R-120K, a new Ukrainian missile equipped with a radar seeker that the developer intends to be capable of both air-to-air and surface-to-air employment.
The R-120K remains under development: work on its rocket motor is ongoing, and the missile’s final performance and production status were described as uncertain in developer materials. The Shershen program has also used test launchers armed with radar-homing and infrared-guided R-27 missiles, and the latest prototype features a cage-type container launcher.
Performance claims, testing, and limits
The developer claims Athena can detect targets at up to 85 kilometers (53 miles) and that Shershen can engage aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones at ranges up to 25 kilometers (16 miles) and altitudes up to 10,000 meters (32,800 feet). The system is also advertised as able to guide as many as six radar-guided missiles simultaneously.
NAUDI and the developer state the second prototype has completed initial testing, including successful interceptions at a test range. The published performance figures have not been independently verified, and the developer materials do not specify the target types or engagement conditions used to establish those figures.
How the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Western suppliers, and NAUDI/Radionix are affected
- Ukrainian Armed Forces: Shershen is presented as a short-range layer intended to stretch interceptor stocks by accepting a range of missiles already in Ukrainian and partner inventories, including adapted air-to-air types. That flexibility is framed as a response to acute shortages in surface-to-air interceptors noted earlier in 2026.
- Western suppliers and partners (United Kingdom, Denmark): The article links Shershen to a broader pattern of adapting foreign-supplied and Soviet missiles for ground use, noting previous cooperation on containerized concepts such as Gravehawk with the United Kingdom and Denmark. For suppliers, Shershen underscores demand for adaptable launch and guidance architectures that can accept multiple seeker types and guidance modes.
- NAUDI, Radionix, and Ukraine’s defense industry: The program represents a deliberate move toward a standardized, open architecture that could reduce the need for bespoke FrankenSAM solutions and, over time, incorporate a domestically produced interceptor such as the R-120K to relieve dwindling stocks of legacy missiles.
Shershen sits at the intersection of improvisation and planned design. It is the next iteration of Ukraine’s earlier FrankenSAM efforts — which paired Soviet-era launchers and radars with Western missiles — but built from the ground up to accept multiple interceptor types. The concept aims to convert a diverse inventory of air-to-air missiles into a more flexible short-range surface-to-air layer while leaving open the path to a purpose-designed Ukrainian interceptor.
Questions remain about how the advertised detection and engagement figures will translate into operational performance across different missile types and threat conditions, and the R-120K’s development status will matter if Ukraine seeks to move off legacy stocks. For now, Shershen adds a standardized, modular option to Ukraine’s rapidly evolving short-range air-defence toolkit.
Original reporting: https://www.twz.com/land/ukraines-new-shershen-sam-can-fire-a-wild-mix-of-adapted-air-to-air-missiles
