Kh-38M

Kh-38

Kh-38

Tactical air-to-surface missile


The Kh-38/Kh-38M (Russian: Х-38) is a family of air-to-surface missiles meant to succeed the Kh-25 and Kh-29 missile families.

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Design and development

The basic configuration of the Kh-38M was revealed at the 2007 Moscow Air Show (MAKS). The first prototypes of the missile had initially folding wings and tail fins for internal carriage, and would have a variety of seeker heads for different variants.[6] Different warheads (fragmentation, cluster munitions, penetrating) can also be fitted. The Kh-38M is meant to succeed the Kh-25 and Kh-29 missile families. It can be used by combat aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-57, and it is planned to be integrated on the Kamov Ka-52K helicopter. The first test firing took place in 2010 from a Su-34, and production was ordered to start in 2015.[3]

In a successive version, unveiled at MAKS 2017, both control surfaces were replaced by longer and narrower fixed ones, a solution similar to the one used in the Selenia Aspide missile.[7][needs update]

Operational history

The Kh-38M was first used in combat during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war.[3] It was also used during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.[8]

Variants

  • Kh-36 Grom-E1 - AS-23 tactical cruise missile derivative/AGM with 120 km range[5]
  • Kh-36 Grom-E2 - AS-23B/KAB-type guided glide bomb with 50 km range.[9]

Both versions of the Grom are of 600 kg weight, with various guidance mechanisms, and both are created on the basis of the Kh-38M short-range tactical missile and also have modular structures, warheads and seekers. This weapon was first seen at MAKS 2015, and intended to equip all types of fighters, including the MiG-35 and Su-57.[10]

See also


References

  1. "Russia to test new missiles in Syria later this year". 14 September 2016.
  2. "[Actu] La bombe guidée 9A-7759 Grom". Red Samovar. 26 June 2018.
  3. "Airborne guided missile "GROM-E1"". Archived from the original on 26 July 2022.
  4. Barrie, Douglas and Komarov, Alexey. "War on Two Fronts for Russia's Missile Builders ". Aviation Week, 10 September 2007. Retrieved: 25 May 2014.
  5. Newdick, Thomas (14 May 2024). "Our Best Look At Russia's Kh-38 Missile Now Being Used In Ukraine". The War Zone. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  6. "Airborne guided gliding bomb "GROM-E2"". 20 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021.


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