Kh-20

Kh-20 AS-3 Kangaroo

Type	Nuclear cruise missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1960-1980s
Used by	Soviet Air Forces
Production history
Designer	Mikhail Gurevich
Specifications (Kh-20M)
Weight	12,000 kg (26,000 lb) at launch
Length	14.95 m (49.0 ft)
Height	3.02 m (9.9 ft)
Diameter	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Warhead	Nuclear warhead
Blast yield	0.3-3.0 megatons

Engine	Lyulka AL-7FK turbojet 67.1 kN (15,100 lbf)
Wingspan	9.15 m (30.0 ft)
Propellant	jet fuel
Operational range	380 to 600 kilometres (240 to 370 mi)
Flight ceiling	20,000 m (66,000 ft)
Speed	Mach 2.0
Guidance system	Inertial guidance/radio command guidance
Launch platform	Tu-20

The Raduga Kh-20 (NATO reporting name: AS-3 Kangaroo) was a cruise missile armed with a nuclear warhead which was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Kh-20 was designed to be air-launched.

Background

Kh-20 cruise missile was designed by M.I. Gurevich for the Tu-95 strategic bomber. Development began in 1954, drawing on experience with MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters. Two Tu-95 were converted to Tu-95K missile carriers in 1955. Initial testing of the missile systems was performed using four specially modified MiG-19 fighters designated SM-20/I and SM-20/II for mothership-missile interface and airborne launch testing, and SM-K/I and SM-K/II for guidance system and ground launch testing. First SM-20/I launch from Tu-95K was made in the fall of 1956. One of the greatest challenges in the early development was starting the missile's Lyulka AL-7F turbojet engine after prolonged flight in very cold upper atmosphere. Kh-20 began flight testing on March 17, 1958. The first launch was unsuccessful and range and accuracy did not meet expectations. This was in part because the warhead and the guidance system weight exceeded projected limits. Government trials took place between October 15, 1958, and November 1, 1959, and consisted of 16 launches of which 11 were considered successful although accuracy still left much to be desired. Kh-20 entered service in 1960. The production version, designated Kh-20M, featured an improved nuclear warhead. The arsenal initially consisted of two Kh-20 per Tu-95K, which amounted to 130 missiles for approximately 40 Tu-95K and 25 Tu-95KD. This number was later reduced to one missile per aircraft.

Kh-20 was initially intended for retaliation strikes against major targets in the United States. However, arming a Tu-95 with Kh-20 took 22 hours and the first-generation nuclear warheads were difficult to store which made them unsuitable for first-response weapons. Therefore, Kh-20 was relegated to secondary strikes against targets surviving the initial attack and against aircraft carrier groups. Arming time was eventually reduced to 4 hours and reliability was improved. The weakest link of the Kh-20 remained its guidance system and good accuracy required manual guidance which was vulnerable to jamming.

An attempt to adapt Myasishchev M-4 for Kh-20 was unsuccessful because of the missile's large size. High-altitude supersonic target M-20 was also abandoned due to high cost. By the late 1970s, Kh-20 no longer had the performance required to penetrate enemy air defenses and it was replaced by Raduga Kh-22 (NATO designation AS-4 Kitchen) by mid-1980s.

Operators

Soviet Union: The Soviet Air Forces were the only operator of the Kh-20.

Specifications

Wingspan: 9.15 m
Length: 14.95 m
Diameter: 1.81 m
Height: 3.02 m
Empty weight: 5,878 kg
Launch weight: 12,000 kg
Engine: 1x Lyulka AL-7FK turbojet
Cruise speed: Mach 2.0
Cruise ceiling: Target-dependent, up to 20,000 m
Range: 380–600 km
Guidance: Inertial with remote correction over radio
Warhead: 2,300 kg thermonuclear, 0.8-3.0 Mt

References

Gordon, Yefim (2004). Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-188-1.

NATO designation for Russian and former Soviet Union missiles

Air-to-air missiles complete list

AA-1 Alkali AA-2 Atoll AA-3 Anab AA-4 Awl AA-5 Ash AA-6 Acrid AA-7 Apex AA-8 Aphid AA-9 Amos AA-10 Alamo AA-11 Archer AA-12 Adder AA-13 Arrow

Air-to-surface missiles complete list

AS-1 Kennel AS-2 Kipper AS-3 Kangaroo AS-4 Kitchen AS-5 Kelt AS-6 Kingfish AS-7 Kerry AS-8 Kokon AT-6 AS-9 Kyle AS-10 Karen AS-11 Kilter AS-12 Kegler AS-13 Kingbolt AS-14 Kedge AS-15 Kent AS-16 Kickback AS-17 Krypton AS-18 Kazoo AS-X-19 Koala AS-20 Kayak AS-X-21 AS-22 AS-23 AS-24

Anti-tank missiles complete list

AT-1 Snapper AT-2 Swatter AT-3 Sagger AT-4 Spigot AT-5 Spandrel AT-6 Spiral AT-7 Saxhorn AT-8 Songster AT-9 Spiral-2 AT-10 Stabber AT-11 Sniper AT-12 Swinger AT-13 Saxhorn-2 АТ-14 Spriggan АТ-15 Springer AT-16 Scallion

Ground based	SA-1 Guild SA-2 Guideline SA-3 Goa SA-4 Ganef SA-5 Gammon SA-6 Gainful SA-7 Grail SA-8 Gecko SA-9 Gaskin SA-10 Grumble SA-11 Gadfly SA-12 Gladiator/Giant SA-13 Gopher SA-14 Gremlin SA-15 Gauntlet SA-16 Gimlet SA-17 Grizzly SA-18 Grouse SA-19 Grison SA-20 Gargoyle SA-21 Growler SA-22 Greyhound SA-23 Gladiator/Giant SA-24 Grinch Morfey S-350E

Naval based	SA-N-1 Goa SA-N-2 Guideline SA-N-3 Goblet SA-N-4 Gecko SA-N-5 Grail SA-N-6 Grumble SA-N-7 Gadfly SA-N-8 Gremlin SA-N-9 Gauntlet SA-N-10 Grouse SA-N-11 Grison SA-N-12 Grizzly SA-N-14 Grouse SA-N-20 Gargoyle

ABMs	ABM-1 Galosh ABM-3/53T6 Gazelle S-500

Ground based	SS-1 Scud SS-2 Sibling SS-3 Shyster SS-4 Sandal SS-5 Skean SS-6 Sapwood SS-7 Saddler SS-8 Sasin SS-9 Scarp SS-10 Scrag SS-11 Sego SS-12 Scaleboard SS-13 Savage SS-14 Scamp/Scapegoat SS-15 Scrooge SS-16 Sinner SS-17 Spanker SS-18 Satan SS-19 Stiletto SS-20 Saber SS-21 Scarab SS-22 Scaleboard SS-23 Spider SS-24 Scalpel SS-25 Sickle SS-26 Stone SS-27 Sickle B SS-28 Saber 2 SS-29 Yars SS-X-31 Rubezh SS-X-32Zh Barguzin SS-X-30 Sarmat

Naval based	SS-N-1 Scrubber SS-N-2 Styx SS-N-3c Shaddock SS-N-3a Shaddock 3b Sepal SS-N-4 Sark SS-N-5 Sark/Serb SS-N-6 Serb SS-N-7 Starbright SS-N-8 Sawfly SS-N-9 Siren SS-N-12 Sandbox SS-NX-13 SS-N-14 Silex SS-N-15 Starfish SS-N-16 Stallion SS-N-17 Snipe SS-N-18 Stingray SS-N-19 Shipwreck SS-NX-20 Sturgeon SS-N-21 Sampson SS-N-22 Sunburn SS-N-23 Skiff R29RM SS-N-23A Skiff SS-N-23B Skiff SS-NX-24 Scorpion SS-N-25 Switchblade SS-N-26 Strobile SS-N-27 Sizzler SS-N-30A 3M-14 SS-NX-28 SS-N-29 SS-N-32 SS-NX-30? SS-NX-34

Russian and former Soviet aircraft ordnance

Air-to-air missiles

Air-to-ground missiles

Anti-ship and cruise missiles

Anti-tank missiles

Rockets

Bombs

Autocannons and
machine guns

7.62 mm	PV-1 DA ShKAS Savin–Norov GShG-7.62

12.7 mm	ShVAK 12.7 mm Berezin UB Afanasev A-12.7 Yak-B

20 mm	ShVAK 20 mm Berezin B-20

23 mm	VYa-23 NS-23 NR-23 AM-23 R-23 GSh-23 GSh-6-23

30 mm	NR-30 GSh-301 GSh-30-2 GSh-6-30

37/45 mm	Sh-37 NS-37 NS-45 N-37

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