Raduga Kh-15

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Kh-15 drawing
Kh-15 drawing

The Raduga Kh-15 (NATO reporting name AS-16 'Kickback') is Soviet/CIS short-range nuclear missile carried by bomber aircraft. Produced by MKB Raduga, it is similar in design and purpose to the USAF AGM-69 SRAM used from 1971 to 1991.

Development of the Kh-15 began in the late 1960s, and it entered service in the early 1980s, carried by the Tupolev Tu-22M and other bombers. Similar in configuration and purpose to SRAM, it is produced in three versions: the Kh-15A, an anti-ship missile with active radar homing; the Kh-15P, a SEAD version with an anti-radar seeker for use against enemy radar sites; and the basic Kh-15 nuclear stand-off missile with inertial guidance.

The Kh-15 climbs to an altitude of about 40,000 m and then dives in on the target, accelerating to a speed of about Mach 5.

An export version of the anti-ship version has been developed under the designation Kh-15S.

[edit] Specifications

  • Length: 4.78 m (15 ft 8 in)
  • Diameter: 455 mm (19 in)
  • Wingspan: 0.92 m (3.01 ft)
  • Launch weight: 1,200 kg (2,645 lb)
  • Warhead: 150 kg (330 lb)
  • Guidance: inertial, active radar, or anti-radiation
  • Maximum speed: approximately Mach 5
  • Range: 300 km (185 mi)
  • Accuracy (CEP): unknown