Kh-59

Kh-59Ovod
(NATO reporting name:AS-13 'Kingbolt')
Kh-59MOvod-M(AS-18 'Kazoo')
Kh-59Ovod; (NATO reporting name:AS-13 'Kingbolt'); Kh-59MOvod-M(AS-18 'Kazoo')
	Kh-59MK atMAKS2009 air show
Type	Cruise missile; Air-launched cruise missile; Air-to-surface missile; Anti-ship missile; Land-attack missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union/Russia
Service history
In service	1980–current
Used by	Russia, China, India, Algeria
Wars	First Chechen War; Second Chechen War; Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
Designer	MKB Raduga
Manufacturer	Tactical Missiles Corporation
Specifications
Mass	930 kg (2,050 lb)
Length	570 cm (220 in)
Diameter	38.0 cm (15.0 in)
Wingspan	130 cm (51.2 in)
Warhead	Cluster orshaped-chargefragmentation
Warhead weight	320 kg (705 lb)
Engine	Kh-59: two-stage rocket; Kh-59ME: rocket then R95TP-300turbojet/turbofan
Operational; range	Kh-59ME (export): 115 km (62 nmi); Kh-59ME: 200 km (110 nmi); Kh-59MK: 285 km (150 nmi); Kh-59MK2: 290 km (160 nmi)
Maximum speed	Mach 0.72 – Mach 0.88 (882–1,080 km/h; 548–670 mph)
Guidance; system	Inertial guidance(thenTV guidance),millimeter waveactive radar homing(Kh-59MK, Kh-59MK2 land attack version)
Launch; platform	Kh-59ME: Su-30MK; Kh-59: Su-24M, MiG-27, Su-17M3/22M4,HAL Tejas,Su-30 MKISu-25 and Su-30; Kh-59MK2: Su-57

TheKh-59Ovod(Russian:Х-59Овод 'Gadfly';AS-13 'Kingbolt') is a Russiancruise missilewith a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system and 200 km range. TheKh-59MOvod-M(AS-18 'Kazoo') is a variant with a bigger warhead and turbojet engine. It is primarily aland-attack missile;the Kh-59MK variant targets ships.^[4]

Development[edit]

The initial design was based on the RadugaKh-58(AS-11 'Kilter'), but it had to be abandoned^{[citation needed]}because the missile speed was too high for visual target acquisition.

Raduga OKBdeveloped the Kh-59 in the 1970s as a longer ranged version of theKh-25(AS-10 'Karen'),^[7]as a precision stand-off weapon for the Su-24M and late-model MiG-27's.^[5]The electro-optical sensors for this and other weapons such as theKh-29(AS-14 'Kedge') andKAB-500KRbombs were developed byS. A. Zverev NPOinKrasnogorsk.^[7]

It is believed that development of the Kh-59M started in the 1980s.^[4]Details of the Kh-59M were first revealed in the early 1990s.^[4]

Design[edit]

The original Kh-59 is propelled by a solid fuel engine, and incorporates a solid fuel accelerator in the tail. The folding stabilizers are located in the front of the missile, with wings and rudder in the rear. The Kh-59 cruises at an altitude of about 7 metres above water or 100–1,000 metres (330–3,280 ft) above ground with the help of aradar altimeter.It can be launched at speeds of 600 to 1,000 km/h (370 to 620 mph) at altitudes of 0.2 to 11 kilometres (660 to 36,090 ft) and has aCEPof 2 to 3 metres.^[2]It is carried on an AKU-58-1 launchpylon.^[5]

The Kh-59ME has an externalturbofanengine below the body just forward of the rear wings, but retains the powder-fuel accelerator. It also has a dual guidance system consisting of aninertial guidance systemto guide it into the target area and a television system to guide it to the target itself.^[1]

The36MTturbofan engine developed for the Kh-59M class of missiles is manufactured byNPO Saturnof Russia.^[8]

Target coordinates are fed into the missile before launch, and the initial flight phase is conducted under inertial guidance. At a distance of 10 km (6.2 mi) from the target the television guidance system is activated. An operator aboard the aircraft visually identifies the target and locks the missile onto it.

Operational history[edit]

Although the original Kh-59 could be carried by theMiG-27,Su-17M3,Su-22M4,Su-24M,Su-25andSu-30family if they carried an APK-9 datalink pod, it was only fielded on the Su-24M in Russian service.^[5]From 2008–2015, Russia delivered some 200 Kh-59 missiles to China for use on the Su-30MK2; deliveries may have included both Kh-59MK and Kh-59MK2 versions.^[9]The Kh-59MK2 has been test-fired by aSu-57stealth fighter, during its 2018 Syrian deployment.^[6]

On 4 April 2022, during theRussian invasion of Ukraine,photographic evidence was published onTelegramchannels that a Kh-59M missile was launched by theRussian Aerospace Forcesat a grain silo nearMykolaiv,Ukraine. The missile was captured on CCTV as it was traveling to the target area.^[10]

On 16 August 2022, theUkrainian Air Forceconfirmed over Social Media that Kh-59 missiles were used to strike an airbase in the Zhytomyr Oblast, the missiles being fired towards the Belarusian border from what was believed to beSu-34jets.

Variants[edit]

Kh-59 model[edit]

Kh-59(AS-13 'Kingbolt') – original version with dual solid-fuel rocket engines. First shown in 1991; exported as Kh-59 or Kh-59E.^[7]
Kh-59M(AS-18 'Kazoo') – adds turbojet engine and larger warhead. Range 115 km.^[1]
Kh-59ME– 200 km-range variant offered for export in 1999.^[4]
Kh-59MK– 285 km-range anti-shipping variant with turbofan engine and ARGS-59 active radar seeker.^[4]^[11]
Kh-59MK2(AS-22) – land attack variant of Kh-59MK (fire-and-forget),^[4]equipped with either a 320 kg penetrating or 285 kg (628 lb) pellet warhead.^[9]^[12]First unveiled atMAKS2015.^[13]^[14]
Kh-59M2– Kh-59M/Kh-59MK with new TV/IIR seekers, reported in 2004.^[4]
Kh-20– possible name for nuclear-tipped variant carried bySu-27family.^[4]
Kh-59L– laser-guided variant that was developed.^[5]
Kh-59T– TV guided instead laser guidance variant.
Kh-59MKM– penetrator version that eliminated the seeker section and fitted a 360 kg (790 lb) warhead, able to penetrate 3 m of reinforced concrete.^[15]

Proposed development options for the Kh-59M/ME have included alternative payloads (includingcluster munitions) but their current development status is unclear.^[5]^[16]