Kh-58

Kh-58
(NATO reporting name: AS-11 'Kilter')

Kh-58U in the Ukrainian Air Force Museum
Type air-launched anti-radiation missile
Place of origin Soviet Union  Russia
Service history
In service 1982-current[1]
Used by USSR, Russia, India, FSU, Warsaw Pact[1]
Wars Russo-Georgian War
Iran-Iraq War
Production history
Designed 1970s
Manufacturer Raduga NPO
Specifications
Weight 650 kg (1,430 lb)[2]
Length 480 cm (15 ft 9 in)[2]
Diameter 38 cm (15.0 in)[2]
Warhead High Explosive[1]
Warhead weight 149 kg (328 lb)[2]

Engine Solid rocket[1]
Wingspan 117 cm (46.1 in)[2]
Operational
range
Kh-58 : up to 120 km (65 nmi)
Kh-58U :250 km (130 nmi)[1]
Kh-58E :46–200 km (25–110 nmi)[2]
Speed Mach 3.6
Guidance
system
Inertial with passive radar seeker[1]
Launch
platform
Su-24M,[1] Mig-25BM,[1] Su-22M4,[2] Su-25TK,[2] Su-30MK[3]

The Kh-58 (Russian: Х-58; NATO:AS-11 'Kilter') is a Soviet anti-radiation missile with a range of 120 km. As of 2004 the Kh-58U variant was still the primary anti-radiation missile of Russia and its allies.[1] It is being superseded by the Kh-31. The NATO reporting name is "Kilter", after a pixie in the 1902 book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum.

Development

The Bereznyak design bureau had developed the liquid-fuelled Kh-28 (AS-9 'Kyle) and the KSR-5P anti-radiation missiles.[3] They merged with Raduga in 1967, so Raduga was given the contract in the early 1970s to develop a solid-fuel successor to the Kh-28 to equip the new Su-24M 'Fencer-D' attack aircraft.[3] Consequently the project was initially designated the Kh-24, before becoming the Kh-58.

During the 1980s a longer-range variant was developed, the Kh-58U, with lock-on-after-launch capability. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Raduga have offered several versions for export.[3]

Design

It was designed to be used in conjunction with the Su-24's L-086A "Fantasmagoria A" or L-086B "Fantasmagoria B" target acquisition system.[1] The range achieved depends heavily on the launch altitude, thus the original Kh-58 has a range of 36 km from low level, 120 km from 10,000 m (32,800 ft), and 160 km from 15,000 m (49,200 ft).[1]

Like other Soviet missiles of the time, the Kh-58 could be fitted with a range of seeker heads designed to target specific air defence radars such as MIM-14 Nike-Hercules or MIM-104 Patriot.[3]

Operational history

The Kh-58 was deployed in 1982 on the Su-24M 'Fencer D' in Soviet service.[1] The Kh-58U entered service in 1991 on the Su-24M and Mig-25BM 'Foxbat-F'.[1] The Kh-58E version can be carried on the Su-22M4 and Su-25TK as well,[2] whilst the Kh-58UshE appears to be intended for Chinese Su-30MKK's.[3]

Variants

Kh-58UShKE

Some Western sources have referred to a Kh-58A that is either optimised for naval radars or has an active seeker head for use as an anti-shipping missile - it probably represents another name for the Kh-58U.

Operators

Map with Kh-58 operators in blue and former operators in red

Current operators

Former operators

Similar weapons

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Staff of Journal of Electronic Defense (2004), International Electronic Countermeasures Handbook, Artech House, pp. 149–150, ISBN 9781580538985
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 X-58E, Tactical Missiles Corporation JSC, 2004
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Kh-58 (AS-11 'Kilter')", Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, 2007-10-24
  4. "Airshow China 2014: PAK-FA's new anti-radiation missile set for 2015 series production", Jane's Defence Weekly, 13 November 2014
  5. MAKS 2015: KRTV adds IR seeker to Kh-58UShK anti-radiation missile
  6. Prezentacja Su-22 i MiG-29
  7. "Ukraine - Air Force Equipment". GlobalSecurity.org. 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-23.

References

External links

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