Ukrainian design bureau Luch to develop the Neptune-2 missile jointly with European defence giant MBDA

European defence giant MBDA, the manufacturer of Taurus, Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s Luch design bureau. The companies will jointly develop a new version of the Neptune anti-ship missile.

According to the announcement, the companies will introduce innovative solutions to enable the Neptune-2 to strike at long range. MBDA adds that it has the technology, expertise and partnerships to do so.

Luch design bureau also has specialist knowledge and skills. Its range includes air-launched and anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missile systems and naval missile systems. One of the company’s best-known products is the Neptune anti-ship missile, which struck the Russian cruiser Moskva in 2022.

In 2025, Ukroboronprom released the technical specifications for an upgraded version of the missile, known as the Long Neptune. The warhead weighs 260 kg, 110 kg more than the anti-ship version. The flight range has increased to 1,000 km.

This is already the second partnership between MBDA and a Ukrainian manufacturer announced within a week. On 10 June, Defender Media reported that the European missile producer had become a strategic partner of Ukrainian Armor. The companies will begin their cooperation by jointly developing deep-strike capabilities and counter-UAS systems.