Ukraine Has Deployed US-Russian "FrankenSAM" Air Defense Weapon

Ukraine's "FrankenSAM" air defense systems are a reference to the Frankenstein monster because they combine aging Soviet-era systems with modern US and NATO missiles, allowing Ukraine to address its weapons disadvantage versus Russia by using the materiel it possesses. 

This sort of innovation has been characteristic of Ukraine's war effort from the start of the Russian invasion and is a big part of the reason Ukraine has continued to embarrass Russia militarily. JL 

Julian Kossoff reports in Business Insider:

Improvised "FrankenSAM" air defense systems are now operating on the front line. The FrankenSAM name is a nod to "Frankenstein," named because their manufacture involves sticking bits of different machines together. SAM stands for surface-to-air missile. The hybrid weapons, made with US support, combine Western armaments with aged Soviet equipment from the Ukraine stockpile. Ukraine's Soviet-era Buk air defense system have been paired with US RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles or US AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles. Ukraine has been adept at finding creative solutions to its shortage of weapons.

Improvised "FrankenSAM" air defense systems are now operating on the front line, said a Ukrainian minister.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries, announced at a ministry briefing that the improvised air-defense systems were already in use defending Ukraine from Russian air attacks.

Kamyshin's comments were published by the Ukrainain public broadcaster Suspilne.

The FrankenSAM name is a nod to "Frankenstein," named because their manufacture involves sticking bits of different machines together. SAM stands for surface-to-air missile.

 

The hybrid weapons, made with US support, combine Western armaments with aged Soviet equipment from the Ukraine stockpile.

Ukraine is in urgent need of stronger air defenses ahead of an expected barrage of attacks from Russia over the winter. Ukraine says Russia will likely to try repeat the bombing campaign of last winter that targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Kamyshin, the Ukrainain minister, said he saw FrankenSAMS being built on a recent trip to the US. He said they would be particularly useful protecting cities and critical infrastructure.

Previous reporting has suggested that FrankenSAMS come in two main varieties.

 

Ukraine's Soviet-era Buk air defense system had been paired with US RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, The New York Times reported in October.

The same article said that another combination was Soviet-era radars attached to US AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles.

Ukraine has been adept at finding creative solutions to its shortage of weapons since Russia invaded in February 2022.

One of the most successful adaptions was to convert the Neptune anti-ship cruise missile into a land-use weapon.

 

A modified Neptune anti-ship missile struck and destroyed a prized Russian S-400 Triumf missile system in Crimea in the summer, according to Ukrainian officials.

Ukraine has also repurposed the retired Soviet-era S-200 surface-to-air missile systems for ground attack use, according to a UK intelligence update from August.