Soviet cruise missiles

Just found a nice, large pic of the Rubezh-E (SSC-3 “Styx”). Enjoy!

Folks,

On the subject of the S-2 (NATO KENNEL) when the Russian military expert Steven Zaloga researched the Russian strategic missile program and the Cuban Missile Crisis he shocked everyone when he gained access to the Russian archives and discovered that the S-2s that Russian sent to Cuba were armed with nuclear warheads!!!

Jack E. Hammond

Just a very quick off hand calculation but if the length of the 3M25A was to be 12.8metres and the length of the Kh-55/555 is only 8.09metres wouldnt it therefore be theoretically possible for a Tu-160M to carry an addtional 6 round rotary launcher bringing the total Kh-55/555 carriage to 18? or is there a weight issue?
(I am asuming that the two 3M25A’s would be carried end on end rather than side by side?)

According to Yefim Gordons’ ‘Tu-160 Blackjack’ – the weapons bays are 11.28 x 1.92 metres (37ft x 6ft3.5in).

The Kh-55SM is 8.09m (26ft 6.6in) long – so the Blackjack can carry 12 (6 x 2 bays) mounted on a MKU-6-5U rotary launchers.

It can also carry 24 Kh-15S (length 4.78m) – 12 on each of two rotary launchers.

The length of the Tu-160 weapons bays’ was determined by the dimensions of the Kh-45 missile – two of which were to be carried – one in each bay.

The Kh-45 measured 10.8m x 1.92m – hence the size of the weapons bays.

Ken

Just read that the Tupolev design bureau was working on a new variant of the Tu-160 near the end of the cold war called the Tu-170 that was designed specifically to carry conventional weapons. Obviously during the cold war it needed a specific change in external design so it could be seen from space to be a non nuke aircraft for verifications purposes regarding the various Start treaties. Much of the work done on the Tu-170 is being applied to the Tu-160s to give them conventional payload capabilities. (Much the same way the Tu-95 and Tu-142 were kept seperate… despite most late model Tu-95s actually being Tu-142 designs).

Well, the “small” modernization of the bomber fleet undergoes minimal upgrades to be equipped with new armament, with small changes to aircraft equipment.

For the Tu-22M3, “small” modernization includes:

– new Kh-32 heavy anti-ship missiles- developed from the current Kh-22, sharing the same shape and size, but with a new engine control system, refined flight profile, and perhaps a new type of fuel, twice the range. The missile homing system has also been updated. Apparently, the Kh-32 has been under test for several years.

For the Tu-95MS16 & Tu-160

– adapted for carrying the Kh-101 and Kh-555. The first Tu-95MS was adapted in 1999 by the 360th ARZ at Ryazan.

– the adaptation includes upgrading them with a new missile initialisation and launch system known as Sigma (both the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS16 are equipped with Sprut currently)

– the older Tu-95MS6 bombers equipped with the Osina system will not be upgraded.

– The Tu-160 can carry 12 Kh-101s inside its weapon bays, while the Tu-95MS will have eight missiles in four pairs under the wings (combined with its standard 6 Kh-55/Kh-55SM/Kh-555s)

After modernization Tu-95MS16s are designated Tu-95MSM.

Second-stage modernization will include the equipping of the Tu-22M3, Tu-95MSM and Tu-160 bombers with the same new search-attack radar, a common missile initialisation and launch system, common weapons (Kh-101/2, Kh-SD, and a new supersonic weapon) and the modernization of the navigation, communication and self defense systems.

One feature is an increase in payload to 45 tons, plus the ability to carry and use conventional weapons, probably including Satellite guided bombs as well as presumably TV, and Laser guided weapons. The radars for attack and terrain avoidance as well as monitoring airspace will be upgraded and made standard over the remaining Tu-95, Tu-160, and Tu-22M3 fleet.

Tu-160M would have had additional segments of about 4m total added to the length, in order to lengthen the weapons bays to accommodate two 3M25A Meteorit-A missiles.

According to Yefim Gordon, there was a project to modernise the Tu-160 with improved NK-74 engines with better fuel efficiency, a modern digital avionics suite, and precision guided munitions. This may be the same as the late 80s Tu-170 non-nuclear bomber project mentioned by Piotr Butowski.

What does the modernisation of the the new Tu-160s and of the old ones consits of?

The submarine with the Meteorit-M system is the Projekt 667M “Andromeda” (NATO-designation: Yankee Sidecar).
Here is a link to a russian page: http://www.deepstorm.ru/DeepStorm.files/45-92/nsrs/667m/list.htm

It would have 2 bays, 1 for each 3M25, which would make carrying 3 launchers difficult. However, I thought Kh-55 length without rocket booster was 6m or so, which could fit twice into the 12.8m of the 3M25- so perhaps it could have carried 2 x 12 round rotary launchers for an internal load of 24 Kh-55.

Just a very quick off hand calculation but if the length of the 3M25A was to be 12.8metres and the length of the Kh-55/555 is only 8.09metres wouldnt it therefore be theoretically possible for a Tu-160M to carry an addtional 6 round rotary launcher bringing the total Kh-55/555 carriage to 18? or is there a weight issue?
(I am asuming that the two 3M25A’s would be carried end on end rather than side by side?)

Tu-160M would have had additional segments of about 4m total added to the length, in order to lengthen the weapons bays to accommodate two 3M25A Meteorit-A missiles.

According to Yefim Gordon, there was a project to modernise the Tu-160 with improved NK-74 engines with better fuel efficiency, a modern digital avionics suite, and precision guided munitions. This may be the same as the late 80s Tu-170 non-nuclear bomber project mentioned by Piotr Butowski.

I think your right SOC, the hull number was K-420, I used to have some photos of her, one with her in the water and a couple of her in dry dock but I cant find them now.If I remember correctly the missiles were outside the pressure hull and there was a large bulge behind the conning tower as the hull plug was wider than the original boat so she looked kind of like a pregnant fish!!!

Are there any images of the proposed Tu-160M out there?? I assume it just looks like a bigger Tu-160 but it would be nice to see a pic??

The Kh-65SE always struck me as a realy bizzare weapon, basically a 280km ranged subsonic anti-ship missile (why else would it have an active radar seaker?), built at the time when the soviets were building Moskits and working on Yakhont. I never understood it. Now an ASuW version of the Metorit I could understand, it would have made a lovely Kh-22 replacement.

Which of these systems is Russia planning on putting into service?? Or are they just for export?? I mean the Uran ground launchers, Moskit ground launchers, Yakhont and such??

There is a guy out there on the net…can’t remember his name or contact info…who was the test pilot who launched the first cruise missile from a Tu-160 bomber…he said it achieved pin-point accuracy on that first launch he made

That was one of the Yankee-class SSBNs, Andromeda, if I remember right.

heeroyui, I can not than you enough for the pictures of the Metorit, I have always loved that missile. So Russian, very fast very big, it even looks gorgeous, thankyou again!!!

There was also a submarine that was rebuilt to carry twelve of those missiles, I dont have the information with me at the moment but il remind myself later and post some pics if I can.

hello

Moskit-E coastal guided-missile system

Thanks again heeroyui, that last photo is new to me.

Here are the basic specs of the Meteorit-A:

AS-X-19 ‘Koala’
Type: Land-attack cruise missile (ALCM)
Soviet designation: 3M25A Meteorit-A (Kh-80)
Developer: NPO Mashinnostrenya
Length: 12.8 m
Launch weight: 6,300 kg
Maximum range: 5,000 km
Maximum speed: Mach 2.5
Propulsion: Turbojet sustainer
Guidance: Inertial + TERCOM
Operational: Cancelled
Platforms: Tu-95MA, Tu-160M
The development of the Meteorit-A began in December 1976 as an air-launched version of the P-750 Meteorit-M (SS-NX-24) and Meteorit-N (SSC-X-5) advanced cruise missiles. One Tu-95MS heavy bomber was converted to serve as the Tu-95MA prototype that carried one missile under each wingroot. The first test launch was made in January 1984, but the program was cancelled at the end of that year after several unsuccesful launches as the Kh-55 (AS-15) was already entering service. The Meteorit was to be a long range supersonic high altitude land-attack cruise missile. It was initially designated BL-10 by the US DoD.

The coastal artillery batteries had both surface-to-surface missiles and guns. Yugoslavia operated the Soviet-designed SS-C-3 and a truck-mounted, Yugoslav-produced Brom antiship missile. The latter was essentially a Yugoslav variant of the Soviet SS-N-2. Coastal guns included over 400 88mm, 122mm, 130mm, and 152mm artillery pieces obtained from the Soviet Union, the United States, postwar Germany, and Yugoslav manufacturers.

BROM mobile ASM system (a Yugoslav-produced version of the Soviet SS-N-2A/B/C/D / SSC-3 Styx; Russian designations: P-15 Termit 4K40 P-20,21,22,27 Rubezh). Developed in 1954, deployed in 1958. Operated by Yugoslavia, Russia, and 17 other countries.

1 – SS-N-2A
2 – SS-N-2B
3 – SS-N-2C
4 – SS-N-2D
Length(m) 1 -5.8; 2 – 5.8; 3 – 6.55; 4 – 6.55; Body Diameter (m) 1 -0.76; 2 – 0.76; 3 – 0.76; 4 – 0.76; Wingspan (m) 1 -2.4; 2 – 2.4; 3 – 2.4; 4 – 2.4 Launch Weight (kg) 1 -2,300; 2 – 2,300; 3 – 2,500; 4 – 2,600 Range (km) 1 -45; 2 – 80; 3 – 85; 4 – 100 Guidance: Auto pilot, Active radar Auto Pilot, IR Auto pilot, Active radar or IR; Propulsion: Liquid; Warhead: 454kg HE hollow charge; Designer: Raduga Design Bureau

ya, those are the usual quotes where the Brom appears, but I would still like to know, like….when was it deployed? How many were produced? Does the yugoslavain production contains the missile or the launching complex or both? Has it been fielded in naval vessels in place of ordinary STYXs?

Thanks a lot Meteorit!

according to janes intelligent review,soviet cruise missile produced in the 80’s do not possess DSMAC,(digital scene matching) similiar to tomahawk,and there accuracy is limited to 25 meter CEP,but that doesnot matter,since the cruise missile was intend to be fitted with nuclear warhead.
but the latest generation such as KH-555 may finally possess a DSMAC for terminal flight.
combat debut was in 1995 chenchya war.