At the end of November 2024, in one of our publications, we reported that France officially confirmed how many air defense systems it had already provided, mentioning the transfer of two short-range surface-to-air missile systems, Crotale NG, and one anti-missile system, SAMP/T (in collaboration with Italy).
At that time, none of these types of systems had been publicly displayed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Now, however, we have the first public indication of the presence of Crotale NG, while SAMP/T remains "in the shadows."
Specifically, the 38th Air Defense Regiment named after General Yuriy Tyutyunnyk released a recruitment video that suggests this unit is equipped with the French Crotale NG missile systems.
The footage of this video also hints at the possible presence of "Shahed killers" for guided APKWS missiles, a direct indication of the availability of the "Osa" missile system upgraded for air-to-air R-73 missiles, as well as units with anti-aircraft artillery systems ZU-23-2 and others.
However, our primary focus here is the demonstration of the French Crotale NG, as this is essentially the first official video featuring these systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in over two years of full-scale war.
It is important to specify that Crotale NG belongs to short-range systems capable of intercepting aerodynamic aerial targets, such as aircraft or subsonic cruise missiles, at a range of up to 10 kilometers. This system can simultaneously engage four targets and is equipped with VT-1 missiles guided by radio commands.
Interestingly, the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a version of Crotale NG with a towed launch system, as there are also reports of a version of this missile system mounted on the chassis of the Finnish BTR XA-180. Each launch unit can accommodate up to eight missiles.
The Military Balance 2024 report indicates that France had 20 Crotale NG launchers in its inventory at the beginning of last year. The French expect to replace the systems provided to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by 2027.