The American company Zone 5 Technologies has successfully conducted combat tests of the Rusty Dagger cruise missile, developed specifically for Ukraine's needs within the ERAM (Extended Range Attack Munition) program. During tests at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the munition, equipped with a real warhead, demonstrated high accuracy in hitting the target and a powerful detonation. This was reported by Defense Express, writes UNN.
Details
The ERAM program aims to create cheap but effective high-precision weapons that can be mass-produced – up to 1,000 units per year. The tests allowed for the collection of critical data for the final refinement of the system.
Despite a technical error in initial releases regarding the date, experts confirm that the active development phase has been ongoing for about 16 months, and the US State Department granted permission to sell these missiles to Ukraine back in August 2025.
These tests allowed for the collection of critical data for the development of a new, cost-effective, and long-range strike system.
Characteristics and cost of the "budget" missile
The Rusty Dagger missile was developed as an asymmetric response to the shortage of expensive Western weapons. Ukraine has been granted the right to purchase up to 3,350 such missiles for a total of $825 million. This means that the cost per unit is about $246,000, which is many times cheaper than analogues like Storm Shadow.
The main technical requirements for Rusty Dagger and its competitor RAACM from CoAspire include:
- Weight category: 50 pounds (about 227 kg).
- Flight range: about 400 km (some sources indicate up to 460 km).
- Speed: from Mach 0.6.
- Accuracy: deviation no more than 10 meters.
- Resistance: ability to operate in conditions of intense enemy electronic warfare.
Although the exact timing of the delivery of the first batches is not yet disclosed, the successful combat test indicates the final stage of the project's readiness for serial production.