After Russia added new software to its Iskander-M and Kinzhal missiles, Ukraine’s ballistic missile interception rate dropped from 37 percent in August to just 6 percent in September 2025.
Now, after being launched, these missiles fly on a predetermined path for the first part of their trajectory, but then suddenly change direction, dive steeply or make last-minute turns to evade Ukraine’s Patriot and other long-range air defense systems. Ukrainian officials have called it a “game changer.”
This situation has raised concerns about the defense of aircraft carriers in the US Pacific, as China’s DF-21D and DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles also use such tactics at Mach 10+ in the final stages of their trajectory. This can evade the AEGIS defense system used on US warships.
However, as a solution, more advanced software updates will come to US air defense systems in the future. Potential trajectory patterns of enemy missiles will be added to counter this threat.
Source: Financial Times See less.
