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There were no official announcements about the delivery of S-125 Newa SC air-defense systems from Poland to Ukraine. But judging from the recently released image, these weapons arrived in Ukraine in the summer of 2022.
Polish S-125 Newa SC anti-aircraft system in Ukraine. Image credit: Armed Forces of Ukraine
It is difficult to predict why the arrival of S-125 Newa SC was kept secret until now, but the news is very good for the Ukrainian defenders, because it seems that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have a considerable number of compatible missiles in their reserves.
This air defense platform is a major modification of the Soviet-era S-125 (Russian designation C-125 Neva). Poland developed this upgraded version back in 2001 by replacing old analog electronics with modern digital control equipment for improved reliability and accuracy.
The base Russian model was mounted on a truck, so in order to increase its mobility Polish engineers replaced the truck with the WZT-1 tank chassis built on a basis of T-55. This was also done in order to reduce the dependency on the supply of spare parts from Russia.
The exact number of Newa SC currently in the service with the Ukrainian Army was not disclosed. According to unofficial information, there were 17 units of S-125 Newa SC in service with the Armed Forces of Poland.
S-125 Newa SC air defense system launcher. Image credit: Polish Armed Forces
The transition to WZT-1 platform provided the possibility to reduce the overall dimensions of this air defense system. The control system was greatly simplified – there is now only one digital screen instead of four. The upgraded model also has a shorter reaction time and an increased rate of fire.
The Polish army also uses Newa SC together with dedicated radars developed specifically for this platform. Most likely, these radars were not transferred to Ukraine and are used in combination with radars from other air defense installations that are already integrated into a joint defensive network.
Newa SC is compatible with V-600 and V-601 missiles alternatively known as 5V24 and 5V27. The maximum range of these rockets reaches 35 km (22 miles) with a flight altitude of up to 18 km (11.2 miles). The Ukrainian Army also uses its own modification of V-600 capable of reaching the effective hit distances of up to 40 km (25 miles).
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