Ekaterina Girnyk09:40, 09.12.25

Tests in Ukraine are scheduled for January-February next year.

The Czech company LPP has developed a new long-range cruise missile, the Narwhal, and it is currently undergoing testing. The missiles are planned to be transferred to Ukraine for the final stage of testing, where they will be tested in combat conditions against Russian forces. According to Aktualne , the first combat use is planned for January-February 2026. Following this, serial production in the Czech Republic is planned to begin in March.

As Defense Express analysts note , the Narwhal missile is capable of striking at a range of up to 680 km—enough to reach Moscow and the Engels strategic bomber base.

The missile’s speed is up to 750 km/h, and its 120-kilogram warhead is sufficient to destroy a wide range of targets, analysts note. For comparison, the Shahed’s warhead weighs 50-90 kg.

In addition to the standard GPS and likely inertial system, the missile also has visual navigation, making it capable of operating even in the absence of GPS due to the active operation of electronic warfare systems.

Narwhal measures 4 meters long and 2.6 meters wide, with a total mass of 260 kg. It can be launched in several ways: by catapult, from a runway or road on a trolley, or using a solid-fuel rocket booster.

At the same time, analysts note that, compared to the American long-range Barracuda 500M missiles, the Narwhal significantly outperforms the majority of its characteristics, in particular in the weight of the warhead (45-85 kg for the Barracuda), guidance systems, and partially in range (probably 500 and 900 km depending on the weight of the warhead for the Barracuda).

At the same time, the main advantage of the Barracuda 500M is its price, which is only $216.5 thousand, while Narwhal’s price has not yet been announced, but is unlikely to be less.

Missiles for Ukraine

Previously, former Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Viktor Yagun expressed the opinion that the deployment of Tomahawk missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be a sign of the Ukrainian army’s integration into NATO’s logistical and operational system. Meanwhile, Trump had previously refused to transfer these missiles to Ukraine.

Aviation expert Valeriy Romanenko also noted that if the US were to transfer Barracuda missiles with a range of up to 900 km to Ukraine, this would be a significant boost to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Barracuda’s most significant drawback is the lack of serial production: the missiles are not yet in US service and are produced only on request.

(C)UNIAN 2025