Air Defense

ARBALET-K weapon station

Also known as
  • Arbalet-K
  • Arbalet K
  • Arbalet-K short range shipborne air defense system

ARBALET-K is a Ukrainian shipborne short-range air-defense missile station from Luch that adapts Igla-type missiles to a naval mount with a thermal imager, control panel, and two twin-missile launch units. Public sources document shipment to Kazakhstan's navy, a December 2015 firing from the missile boat Oral, and a Ukrainian Lan/Vespa missile-boat design that listed it in the planned armament.

ARBALET-K weapon station, Shipborne short-range air-defense missile station, Air Defense
Image source: ARBALET-K product image
Design Notes

Luch presents ARBALET-K as a compact shipborne close-defense station that turns Igla-type missiles into a mounted naval air-defense fit rather than a shoulder-fired team weapon.

Missile fit

Two launch units carry two Igla-type missiles each, giving the station four ready missiles.

Fire-control package

The listed system components include a guidance device, thermal imager, control panel, traverse platform, and actuator base.

Engagement envelope

The manufacturer lists a 500-5,000 m range, 10 m minimum target altitude, and a traverse envelope from minus 150 to plus 150 degrees in heading.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Ukraine
Type
Shipborne short-range air-defense missile station
Service note
2010s-present
Designer
State Kyiv Design Bureau 'Luch'
Produced
2010s-present

Specifications

Role
Short-range shipborne air defense
System components
Base with actuators, control panel, guidance device, thermal imager, traverse platform, two launch units, spares and accessories, and operating documentation
Missile fit
Two launching units with two Igla-type missiles on each unit
Targets
Jet, propjet, propeller-driven aircraft, and helicopters
Engagement range
500-5,000 m
Minimum altitude
10 m
Maximum altitude
2,000 m against jet aircraft on head-on courses; 2,500 m against jet aircraft in pursuit; 3,000-3,500 m against helicopters and propjet aircraft depending on course
Target speed
360 m/s head-on; 320 m/s pursuit
Target detection
12 km by day; 7 km by night
Traverse
Heading from minus 150 to plus 150 degrees; elevation from minus 25 to plus 60 degrees; roll ±25 degrees
Documented naval fit
Project 0250 Bars-type Kazakhstan missile-artillery boats with four Igla MANPADS missiles, reported in 2018 Ukrainian modernization coverage
Dimensions
1,730 x 2,245 x 1,590 mm
Weight
1,140 kg
Operating temperature
Minus 40 to plus 60 degrees Celsius
Compatible Missiles

Luch identifies Igla-type air-defense guided missiles as the missile family used by the station.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
Igla, Man-portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseIglaInfrared-guided surface-to-air missile family

Luch's product page says ARBALET-K uses air-defense guided missiles of Igla type and has two launch units with two Igla-type missiles on each unit.

Sources: ARBALET-K short range shipborne air defense system

Service Context

Open sources reviewed for this record document export, shipboard testing, and proposed installation context rather than direct battlefield employment. That makes ARBALET-K a relationship-only support page in the catalog.

Kazakhstan delivery

Army Recognition reported a 2014 Luch shipment of ARBALET-K and Bar'er-VK systems to the Navy of Kazakhstan, with an earlier batch already in operation.

Caspian test firing

Tumba.kz and Eurasianet reported that Kazakhstan conducted training or test firing from the missile-artillery ship Oral in December 2015.

Project 0250 Bars fit

Interfax-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian equipment supplied for Kazakhstan's Bars-type Project 0250 boats included ARBALET-K with four Igla MANPADS missiles.

Ukrainian boat design

UNIAN reported that the Lan/Vespa missile-boat project planned to include ARBALET-K among a domestic Ukrainian weapons package.

Timeline

ARBALET-K weapon station Key Events

  1. Luch ships Arbalet-K to the Navy of Kazakhstan

    Army Recognition reported that Luch shipped another batch of Arbalet-K systems to the Navy of Kazakhstan and said an earlier batch was already in operation.

    Sources: Ukroboronprom Supplied Missile Systems "Arbalet-K" and "Bar'er-Vk" to Navy of Kazakhstan

  2. Kazakhstan tests Arbalet-K from the missile boat Oral

    Tumba.kz and Eurasianet reported that Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense tested or conducted training fire from the Arbalet-K air-defense missile system on the missile-artillery ship Oral in the Caspian Sea.

    Sources: Kazakhstan Navy training fire from Arbalet-K, Following Russia, Kazakhstan Tests Missile On Caspian

  3. Ukraine offers modernization path for Kazakhstan Bars-type boats

    Interfax-Ukraine reported that Ukrainian-supplied equipment for Kazakhstan's Project 0250 Bars-type missile-artillery boats included ARBALET-K with four Igla MANPADS missiles.

    Sources: Ukroboronprom Bars boat modernization offer

  4. Lan missile-boat project names Arbalet-K among planned weapons

    UNIAN reported that the Lan missile-boat project for Ukraine's Naval Forces would include Arbalet-K in its planned domestic armament package.

    Sources: Designers reveal missile boat to be manufactured for Ukrainian Navy

Media

ARBALET-K weapon station Images

ARBALET-K weapon station, Shipborne short-range air-defense missile station, Air Defense - view 1
Source: ARBALET-K product image
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Sources

Designers reveal missile boat to be manufactured for Ukrainian NavyPublisher: UNIAN | Note: Supports the 2018 Ukrainian Navy missile-boat project report that named Arbalet-K in the planned armament package. | Accessed: 2026-07-04ARBALET-K short range shipborne air defense systemPublisher: State Kyiv Design Bureau 'Luch' | Note: Supports the ARBALET-K product name, manufacturer background, shipborne air-defense purpose, missile type, and specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-04ARBALET-K product imagePublisher: State Kyiv Design Bureau 'Luch' | Note: Supports image provenance for the ARBALET-K product image on the manufacturer's site. | Accessed: 2026-07-04ARBALET-K thumbnail imagePublisher: State Kyiv Design Bureau 'Luch' | Note: Supports image provenance for the ARBALET-K thumbnail image on the manufacturer's site. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ukroboronprom Supplied Missile Systems "Arbalet-K" and "Bar'er-Vk" to Navy of KazakhstanPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the February 2014 shipment of Arbalet-K systems to the Navy of Kazakhstan and the report that an earlier batch was already operating. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Following Russia, Kazakhstan Tests Missile On CaspianPublisher: Eurasianet | Note: Supports the December 2015 Kazakhstan Navy test firing of Arbalet-K from the missile boat Oral in the Caspian. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Kazakhstan Navy training fire from Arbalet-KPublisher: Tumba.kz | Note: Supports Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense-reported training fire from the Arbalet-K shipborne air-defense missile system on the missile-artillery ship Oral in the Caspian Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Ukroboronprom Bars boat modernization offerPublisher: Interfax-Ukraine | Note: Supports Project 0250 Bars-type Kazakhstan boat context, including Ukrainian-supplied ARBALET-K launchers with four Igla MANPADS missiles and the companion Bar'er-VK system. | Accessed: 2026-07-04