The Ukrainian military demonstrated the combat use of the French Crotale air defense system

The Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrated the combat use of the French Crotale air defense system.

The press service of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the video.

This system is already in operation in Ukraine and has hit targets.

Crotale air defense systems arrived in Ukraine as military aid from France.

These air defense systems help the Ukrainian military counter Russian missile strikes and hit another enemy air targets, including kamikaze drones.

A short segment of the video shows how the Crotale air defense system’s crew visually and with the help of radar tracks an aerial object and launches an anti-aircraft missile to intercept it.

The words behind the scenes make it clear that the first missile did not hit the target. Therefore, another one had to be used.

The enemy air target was ultimately hit by the French air defense system, which is in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The transfer of the Crotale air defense system to Ukraine was reported in December 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron announced this in an interview with local media.

Crotale SAM is mounted on a P4R (4×4) armored wheeled chassis. The system cannot operate while in motion, but after stopping, it needs less than 5 minutes to be brought into combat-ready condition.

The R440 missile is constantly stored in the transport and launch container. The total weight of the missile is 100kg. The detachable high-explosive warhead is located in the central part of the missile hull.

The striking radius of the debris spread is 8m, and the speed of the flight reaches 2.3 km/s. It is stated that the target hit range is 500-10000 meters, and the altitude is up to 6000 meters.