Russia Just Deployed the Izdeliye 305 LMUR Anti-tank Missiles… Has the AGM-114 Hellfire Met Its Match?

Despite the extensive use of old Soviet weapons, Russia also has some advanced weapons that have little to envy the Western countries’ modern missiles.

One of them is the Izdeliye 305 LMUR, a new anti-tank missile with fire and forget technology that is wreaking havoc on Ukrainian forces.

What is the Russian new Izdeliye 305 LMUR?

Another possible Izdelie 305 LMUR missile strike on a Ukrainian warehouse in Kharkiv Oblast. https://t.co/snrrFjTaKH pic.twitter.com/E4q3tyA87F

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) July 5, 2022

There is very little information about this missile, and Russia hasn’t disclosed any official information. Some reports state that it is a light multipurpose guided missile based on a Soviet anti-tank missile of the Cold War era. 

However, these new missiles are updated with modern technologies from Western countries.

They are designed to be used against tanks with a fire-and-forget system. So, once it is launched, the operator doesn’t need to keep aiming at the target.

Consequently, Russian forces are incorporating much more up-to-date technologies and pushing the Ukrainians back rapidly. 

Russian precision-guided missile strikes are now common

Video reportedly of a Russian Izdelie 305 LMUR anti-tank guided missile launched from a Ka-52 helicopter at a target in Lysychansk. The LMUR is supposed to have a substantially greater range than existing Russian ATGMs.https://t.co/sp66E9wHY3 pic.twitter.com/48z68k5oSB

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 25, 2022

Russia became famous for using missiles with obsolete technologies that usually end up falling in civilian areas, leaving a great deal of collateral damage and death.

But, Russian precision-guided missile strikes are now destroying Ukrainian military targets. Mostly, firing the Izdeliye 305 LMUR from Ka-52 helicopters that are hitting their targets with pinpoint accuracy.

Video of a Russian precision-guided missile strike, presumably from an Izdelie 305 LMUR.https://t.co/6SNa82zyOG pic.twitter.com/Qw4hpphNrO

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) July 10, 2022

The Izdeliye 305 LMUR has seen increasing use by the Russian military, and it has been credited with helping to improve the combat effectiveness of Russian attack helicopters. 

Its high-explosive warhead and effective guidance system give it an exceptionally high degree of accuracy.

Additionally, Russian forces are using increasingly advanced weapons against the Ukrainian troops. Like drone attacks that are becoming more frequent – and now, the Izdeliye 305 LMUR is also leaving Ukraine weaker.

On the other hand, the U.S. donated state-of-the-art artillery like the HIMARS are giving Ukraine some breathing space during these last few months of adversity. But, it is entirely insufficient to sustain the war in the long term as Ukraine is having hundreds of casualties a day – and an ever-increasing Russian deployment of weapons.

Again, Ukraine hopes that the US will send a new aid package quickly that includes state-of-the-art weaponry to defeat the Russian forces. In particular, Ukraine is looking for fighter jets such as the F-16 to reverse this situation.

Specs

While the Russian Defense Ministry has not disclosed how many Izdeliye 305 LMUR missiles it has in its arsenal, experts believe that the number is in the hundreds, if not thousands.

• Maximum range: 14.5 km (9 mi)
• Maximum speed:  447 knots (230 m/s)
• Maximum flight altitude: 600 m (1,969 ft)
• Weight: 105 kg (231 lb)
• Warhead weight: 25 kg (55 lb)
• Length: 1,945 mm (76.6 in)

Russia is implementing more and more sophisticated technologies to prevail in this war

With its cutting-edge capabilities, it is no wonder that the Izdeliye 305 LMUR is one of the most feared weapons in the Russian military’s arsenal today.

Russia started out as a laughing stock at the beginning of the war – but as the war progresses, its military strength is increasing, and its technology became more effective.

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_{Featured image credit: Управляемая ракета Изделие 305 ЛМУР by vitalykuzmin.net}