The first video footage showing the launch of Russia’s new Dan-T small cruise missile from a ground-based launcher has appeared online. Until now, the system had only been displayed in a static configuration at military exhibitions.

The footage shows the missile leaving a rail-type launch platform before transitioning into controlled flight toward its target.

The release of the video has raised concerns among Ukrainian military observers, who warn that ground-based launches are significantly more difficult to detect than missiles launched from helicopters.

According to Ukrainian observers, this poses a serious problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces because helicopter launches can be detected, while launches from ground-based systems are almost impossible to identify. They say this explains previous incidents in which missile impacts were recorded even though the launches themselves went largely undetected.

The ground-based launcher for the Dan-T was first publicly presented in October 2026 at the Chebarkul training ground during the Center-2026 strategic military exercises.

In terms of its capabilities, the Dan-T occupies a position between heavy kamikaze attack drones and conventional cruise missiles. The project builds on the Dan-M aerial target system developed by the Simonov Design Bureau, allowing production costs to be substantially reduced through the use of existing technical solutions.

The missile is also believed to be closely related to the S-8000 Banderol cruise missile or to represent a modification of that weapon.

The Dan-T has a reported operational range of approximately 450–500 kilometers, a warhead weighing around 130–135 kilograms, and a cruising speed of 500–750 kilometers per hour.

One of the missile’s main threats to enemy air defense systems is its ability to fly at jet-powered speeds at extremely low altitudes of approximately 20–30 meters while following the contours of the terrain. This low-altitude flight profile makes the missile more difficult to detect and intercept in time.