[Tom Cooper]
Point is: yesterday, a video surfaced purportedly shown the release of two Kh-22 (‘AS-4 Kitchen’) missiles from a Tu-22M-3 bomber.
Must admit, had to re-view that video two times just to trust my eyes.
The Kh-22 was originally developed — back in the 1960s — to strike heavily-protected targets on land, like air bases or major air defence installations, or heavily protected naval targets — like aircraft carriers. Developed back in the 1960s, it’s an old weapon: something like ‘1,5 generation’ of Soviet guided missiles. Unsurprisingly, in ‘land attack mode’ it had ‘circular error probable’ of about 3 miles: therefore, back in the 1960s it was usually equipped with a nuclear warhead. Certainly enough, conventional warheads were developed, as was an anti-radar variant, too and during the 1970s — and in conjunction with then brand-new Tu-22M bomber — it was considered the biggest threat for US Navy’s aircraft carriers.
Over the last few years, there were reports about an upgrade to the Kh-32 standard; but, considering the poor state of the Russian high-tech military sector since Moscow lost the contact to over 50 Ukrainian military research and development facilities, in 2014, and how, literally, ‘toxic’ this weapon is (because of its propellant), I have my doubts about that part of the story.
Anyway: apparently, after all these years, the Kh-22 now saw its combat premiere, too. Guess,might explain lots of Ukrainian reports about ‘mysterious detonations’ well away from anything meaningful, which appeared in the last few days. |