Skif (anti-tank guided missile)

Skif () is the Ukrainian word for Scythian. The name Stugna-P (Russian) or Stuhna-P () is after the river Stuhna, a right tributary of the Dnipro. ==Design==

The Skif consists of a tripod, PDU-215 remote control panel, guidance device, and thermographic camera (thermal imager). The Ukrainian military only uses the 130 mm caliber missiles, as the 152 mm versions were made to compete against the Russian Kornet-EM on the export market. The upgraded Skif-M was unveiled in 2022, which has improvements such as a lighter tripod, a revised traverse and elevation housing, a new lightweight remote-control panel, new batteries to power the launcher and panel, and the new PN-U sighting and guidance unit (SGU) which includes a laser rangefinder. The Luch Design Bureau said the Skif-M had been delivered to the Ukrainian armed forces in September 2023. ==Variants==

The launcher can fire three types of ammunition, with two different calibers. A joint company for the production of Skif missiles was established in Turkey and production began in early 2020. ==Operational history==

The missile system was used during the pre-2022 Russo-Ukrainian War by Ukrainian forces following first deliveries in 2018. However, it gained wider prominence against Russian Army forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine beginning in February alongside anti-tank systems provided by NATO countries such as the FGM-148 Javelin (US) and NLAW (UK/Sweden). On April 5, 2022, Ukrainian forces used the missile system to down a Russian Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter. Although not as advanced as fire and forget systems such as the Javelin, the Stugna-P possesses a few unique advantages over those weapons. It possesses a longer range overall, flies significantly faster, and is harder to jam due to its SACLOS laser guidance. However, it weighs significantly more than those weapons and cannot be operated by a lone operator. As the war has moved to the Donbas and fighting has changed from wooded areas to open plains, the missile has been fitted to light vehicles to make it mobile. The Skif is being used in the same way US forces used the TOW missile system in the 1980s and the Gulf War Desert Patrol Vehicle. On 25 April, near Izyum, during one engagement four tanks were destroyed or damaged in 4 minutes by the same Skif operator. Many of the missiles were to be exported to Middle Eastern countries. However, upon the outbreak of war these export models were used by Ukrainian soldiers. According to Ukrainian soldiers, one missile has hit a Russian tank at 5,300 meters (300 m beyond the nominal maximum range of 5 km). ==Users==

of the Azerbaijani army, equipped with a Skif ATGM • • • • • • • • • ==See also==