TheRaduga K-10S(NATO reporting name:AS-2Kipper) was aSovietsupersonicanti-ship missilethat was usuallynuclear-armed,designed byMKB Raduga.Its development began in 1955, and it entered service with the Soviet armed forces in 1961. The Kipper missile was a very large one, approximately the size of a small jet fighter, because of the rather primitive state of anti-ship missile technology in the 1950s and 1960s. This missile was never used in combat anywhere.
| Raduga K-10S/AS-2 Kipper | |
|---|---|
| Type | anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1961-1994 |
| Wars | Cold War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | MKB Raduga |
| Designed | 1955 |
| Produced | 1961 |
| Variants | P-40 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,533 kg (9,994 lb) |
| Length | 9.75 m (384 in) |
| Diameter | 1 m (39 in) |
| Wingspan | 4.18 m (165 in) |
| Warhead | FK-10 HE[1]or nuclear |
| Warhead weight | 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | impact fuze |
| Blast yield | 350 kilotons of TNT (1,460TJ) |
| Engine | Lyulka AL-5 RD-9FK,[2]Mikulin M-9FK[1] |
Operational range | 260–350 km (160–220 mi; 140–190 nmi) |
| Flight ceiling | 12 km (39,000 ft) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.7 at service ceiling, Mach 1.2 at low altitude |
Guidance system | inertial with terminal active radar homing |
| Accuracy | CEP 150 ft (46 m)[2] |
Launch platform | Tu-16K-10Badger C |
The AS-2's dedicated launch platform, theTu-16K-10Badger C,could carry a single AS-2, semi-recessed in the bomb bay.[2] The Kipper's long range enabled it to be launched, hypothetically, from beyond the range of any shipboardsurface-to-air missilesor anti-aircraft guns of that time. The only defense against the Kipper was naval jetfighter aircraft,operating from either anaircraft carrieror a shoreairfield.
In flight tests, the Kipper cruised on its approach to a target at an altitude of about 10,000 meters, usinginertial guidanceuntil it reaches a range of about 100 to 110 kilometers[3]from the target, where it enters a shallow 15 degree dive, commanded by amid-course updatevia radio link. When it reaches a range of 60 to 70 kilometers it levels out at an altitude of between 800 and 1,000 meters where it cruises until it reaches a range of 10 to 16 kilometers, when the missile'sactive radar homingguidance is engaged. It then enters a dive, striking the target vessel close to or below the waterline.
Notes
edit- ^ab"K-10S (AS-2 Kipper)".GlobalSecurity.Retrieved9 August2023.
- ^abc"AS-2 Russian and Soviet Nuclear Forces".Federation of American Scientists Nuclear Resources.Retrieved9 August2023.
- ^SOVIET STRATEGIC WEAPONS: BACKGROUND FOR SALT (SR IH 69-4)(PDF).Central Intelligence Agency. 1969. p. 35.
References
editThis article includes alist of references,related reading,orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations.(December 2014) |
- Gordon, Yefim (2004).Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two.Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing.ISBN1-85780-188-1.