2024-04-12 10:43:59
As Defense Express reports, cited by Defense Blog, Russian forces have used a new “invisible” (eng. stealth) Kh-69 cruise missile to destroy the Trypili Thermal Power Plant (TШE), the largest supplier of electricity to the regions of Kyiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr.
Also, according to the additional information received, the launch range of the missile was approximately 400 km. This parameter exceeds the known range estimates of 300 km for the Kh-69 as the next iteration of the Kh-59MK2.
The deployment of the Kh-69 missile marks another chapter in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Defense Blog writes. Although the first reports of its use appeared in 2024. in February, cases of missile deployment could be recorded as early as 2023, as unofficial sources hinted and later confirmed by the Kyiv Institute of Forensic Research.
Developed by Raduga, a division of the Russian Tactical Missile Corporation (KTRV), the Kh-69 missile is designed to precisely target fortified areas, allowing for pre-programmed coordinates and in-flight adjustments. Weighing about 809 kilograms, the flight speed reaches 1,000 kilometers per hour, the missile is characterized by versatility in the application of warheads and low visibility, which makes it a formidable weapon in the Russian arsenal.
Although the missile was originally designed for the Su-57 aircraft, the Kh-69 can also be used on the Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft, which are widely used in this war.
According to Defense Express, the missile guidance system, as stated in the declarations – DSMAC: similar to the one installed on the X-101 cruise missile, satellite navigation with anti-jamming Comet-M antennas, also inertial. The main feature of this missile, which is noted in its characteristics, is the ability to fly extremely low, at an altitude of 20 meters – that is, at a lower altitude than the Kh-101 cruise missile.
Despite the fact that this missile is subsonic and has a smaller warhead than the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile, it is not surprising that the Kh-69 can be considered a worse option for Ukraine.
First, its effective strike, unfortunately, speaks of the possibility of penetrating the obviously exhausted Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses. Secondly, its launch from tactical aircraft eliminates the characteristic feature of large-scale missile attacks, when the takeoff of Tu-95MS and MiG-31K strategic bombers is recorded.
Also, launching a Kh-69 missile from a Su-34 or Su-35 aircraft could mean a potentially higher number of missiles per salvo, given that the aggressor has more such carriers. However, it will be possible to talk about this only after the start of full-fledged serial production of this missile in the Russian Federation, because at the moment it is most likely about the use of test batches, and not about production to replenish stocks.
At the same time, the range of use of this missile of 400 km is sufficient to hit a number of objects on the territory of Ukraine from tactical aircraft that can approach the border or the front line at a distance of 50-70 km. And if the Russian Federation takes advantage of the opportunity to launch missiles from the airspace of Belarus, as was done in 2022, the entire territory of Ukraine, except for the Transcarpathian region, can enter the zone of operation of the Kh-69.
2024-04-12 10:43:59