MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. The Vikhr missile, which is launched from a helicopter in an air-to-air configuration, provides better conditions for aiming and launching, and is also cheaper than an anti-aircraft missile, Kalashnikov Group CEO, board member of the Union of Russian Machine-Building Enterprises Alan Lushnikov said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov.

"Our missile is far cheaper than any anti-aircraft missile, and its use from a helicopter - which can detect and track unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - provides mobility and better conditions for aiming and launching. As for launching the missile from large drones, there isn’t much point in that, as enemy UAVs have to be shot down over Russian territory, and under these conditions, using helicopters is easier and more dependable," he emphasized.

According to Lushnikov, as a result of the Vikhr missile upgrade, the company has obtained a sufficiently effective means of combating fixed-wing UAVs, which are capable of inflicting significant damage on targets deep within Russian territory.