KIEV -- New photos of the Grom-2 short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) have emerged.
The Ukrainian military website mil.in.ua has posted new photos of the Grom-2 SRBM, revealing that the system is nearing completion and will soon be ready to conduct field testing.
The photo set showed tests of the SRBM's rocket engine and a transporter-erector launcher, with desert camouflage paint.
The Ukrainian website noted that last month, Pavlograd Chemical Plant director Leonid Shyman stated the Grom-2 was nearing completion and would soon be ready for testing. Those tests are expected to be conducted beginning this year; it is unclear how long the testing will last until the system is declared operational.
Grom-2 reportedly carries a range of up to 280 kilometers. The missile has a payload of 480 kg.
Development of the Grom-2 was confirmed in 2016, when Ukrainian media reported that Pavlograd Chemical Plant, in conjunction with Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, was working on the SRBM. Reportedly, the Ukrainian firms received funding from Saudi Arabia for the project. The status of Saudi Arabia's support for the Grom-2 project is unclear, for in early 2017 it was reported that Riyadh had discontinued its support for the program.