janes
Kh-31PMK could deliver even more lethal SEAD
ROBERT HEWSON Editor, Jane’s Air-Launched Weapons
London
* Russian sources claim the Kh-31PMK outclasses all comparable systems in the suppression of enemy defences role
* A new improved wideband seeker is believed to be fitted to the Kh-31PMK
Russia is testing a new version of the Kh-31P (AS-17 ‘Krypton’) high-speed anti-radiation missile that is larger, longer-ranged and more capable than any existing variant of the weapon.
The Kh-31PMK is an export-dedicated missile that Russian sources describe as “a step beyond previously described upgrades”.
The Kh-31PMK is undergoing operational clearance trials at Russia’s weapons test centre in Akhtubinsk. When it enters service the missile will outclass all comparable systems in the suppression of enemy defences (SEAD) role, the sources claimed.
The Kh-31 was developed during the 1980s by Zvezda-Strela. The key to its unique performance is a liquid-fuelled ramjet propulsion system, produced by Soyuz TMKB. Both Zvezda-Strela and Soyuz have now been incorporated in Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation. Two basic Kh-31 versions were built: the active radar-homing Kh-31A anti-ship missile and the passive anti-radiation Kh-31P.
The original Kh-31P was fielded with three interchangeable seeker heads, each covering a different frequency band for use against specific NATO radar/ missile systems. Seeker manufacturer Avtomatika CKBA has been developing an improved wideband seeker (the L-130) that covers all the required frequencies in a single unit. This new seeker is believed to be fitted to the Kh-31PMK.
The Kh-31PMK is longer than the Kh-31P, with an extended main body. Russian sources note that the improved missile has an increased range of approximately 200 km. While there are several methods of improving ramjet performance the longer missile points to the straightforward incorporation of additional fuel. The missile software has also been improved, to use more efficient trajectories that further extend the weapon’s reach.
Zvezda-Strela officials have referred to an upgraded Kh-31PM (M, modernizirovannaya – modernised) for several years. The emergence of the Kh-31PMK programme is a new twist, and a significant one. Jane’s sources say that the PMK missile is not the same as the PM, leaving open the question as to whether a separate Russian Kh-31PM programme also exists.
The K designation stands for Kommercheskaya (commercial), ie for export. In practice, the K also stands for Kitai (China). Only China and India are known to have acquired the Kh-31 and Russian sources note that China has a sizeable requirement for longer-range SEAD weapons. The Kh-31PMK is on test at Akhtubinsk as part of (but not exclusive to) the Su-27SM/SKM multirole upgrade programme for the single-seat ‘Flanker’ – another Chinese link to the weapon.
In a separate development Jane’s has confirmed that the baseline Kh-31P weapon is in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF). India was previously believed to be a Kh-31 user, with the missile equipping its Su-30MKI strike fighters. Now Jane’s can confirm that the Poona-based Su-30MKI force has acquired the Kh-31, with one pictured here on an aircraft of the recently established No 20 Sqn (the IAF’s second Su-30MKI unit).
The IAF already possessed an defence suppression capability using MBDA Anti-Radiation MATra (ARMAT) missiles with its Mirage 2000 and Jaguars. However, the Kh-31P is a generational shift in SEAD for the IAF, due to its high speed and long range.
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