Kh-29
Encyclopedia
The Kh-29 is a Soviet air-to-surface missile
with a range of 10–30 km. It has a large warhead of 320 kg, has a choice of laser, infrared, active radar or TV guidance, and is typically carried by tactical aircraft such as the Su-24, Su-30, MiG-29K as well as the "T/TM" models of the Su-25, giving that craft an expanded standoff capability.
It is comparable to the United States
' AGM-65 Maverick
missile but with a much heavier warhead. The Kh-29 is intended for primary use against larger battlefield targets and infrastructure such as industrial buildings, depots and bridges, but can also be used against ships up to 10,000 tonnes, hardened aircraft shelters and concrete runways.
design bureau in Ukraine on what would be their only air-to-ground munition, but when they moved exclusively to space work Vympel took over development of the Kh-29. The first firing of the missile took place in 1976 and after extensive trials the Kh-29 was accepted into service in 1980.
- on its modernized MiG-29BMs.: Bulgarian Air Force
- on its Su-22M4s, which were withdrawn from service in 2004 and now used only for reconnaissance. Currently used on Su-25.: Georgian Air Force
- on its SU-25KM Scorpion : Indian Air Force
- on its on new Su-30MKI
s and Indian Navy
- on its on new MiG-29Ks.
Air-to-surface missile
An air-to-surface missile is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft and strike ground targets on land, at sea, or both...
with a range of 10–30 km. It has a large warhead of 320 kg, has a choice of laser, infrared, active radar or TV guidance, and is typically carried by tactical aircraft such as the Su-24, Su-30, MiG-29K as well as the "T/TM" models of the Su-25, giving that craft an expanded standoff capability.
It is comparable to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-65 Maverick
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close-air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities....
missile but with a much heavier warhead. The Kh-29 is intended for primary use against larger battlefield targets and infrastructure such as industrial buildings, depots and bridges, but can also be used against ships up to 10,000 tonnes, hardened aircraft shelters and concrete runways.
Development
Design started in the late 1970s at the MolniyaMolniya
Molniya may refer to:* The Molniya , the Soviet military communications satellite.* Molniya orbit, distinctive orbit associated with the satellite....
design bureau in Ukraine on what would be their only air-to-ground munition, but when they moved exclusively to space work Vympel took over development of the Kh-29. The first firing of the missile took place in 1976 and after extensive trials the Kh-29 was accepted into service in 1980.
Design
The basic aerodynamic layout of the Kh-29 is similar to the Molniya R-60 (AA-8 'Aphid'), reflecting Molniya's heritage in air-to-air missiles. The laser guidance head came from the Kh-25 (AS-10 'Karen') and the TV guidance from the Kh-59 (AS-13 'Kingbolt'), mated to a large warhead.Operational history
The Kh-29 entered service with the Russian air force in 1980, and has been widely exported since.Variants
- Kh-29L (Izdeliye 63, 'Kedge-A') uses semi-active laser guidance and has a range of 8–10 km.
- Kh-29ML is an upgraded version of the Kh-29L.
- Kh-29T (Izdeliye 64, 'Kedge-B') is the TV-guided version which is fitted with automatic optical homing to a distinguishable object indicated by the pilot in the cockpit.
- Kh-29TE is a long-range (30 km) development of the Kh-29T. Minimum range is 3 km; launch altitude is 200-10,000 m.
- Kh-29MP is a third generation guidance variant with active radar homingActive radar homingActive radar homing is a missile guidance method in which a guided missile contains a radar transceiver and the electronics necessary for it to find and track its target autonomously...
, makes it a fire-and-forgetFire-and-forgetFire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military uses the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance , and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the...
weapon. It has a large 250 kg warhead with 12 km range. - Kh-29D is a fourth guidance variant (fire-and-forgetFire-and-forgetFire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military uses the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance , and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the...
) of the Kh-29TE, using imaging infrared.
Current Operators
: Belarusian Air ForceBelarusian Air Force
The Belarussian Air Force is the air force of the Armed Forces of Belarus, formed in 1992 from the 26th Air Army of the Soviet Air Forces which had been serving in the Byelorussian SSR.- Organization :...
- on its modernized MiG-29BMs.: Bulgarian Air Force
Bulgarian Air Force
The Bulgarian Air Force is a branch of the Military of Bulgaria, the other two being the Bulgarian Navy and Bulgarian land forces. Its mission is to guard and protect the sovereignty of Bulgarian airspace, to provide aerial support and to assist the Land Forces in case of war. The Bulgarian Air...
- on its Su-22M4s, which were withdrawn from service in 2004 and now used only for reconnaissance. Currently used on Su-25.: Georgian Air Force
Georgian Air Force
The Georgian Air Force is the air arm of the Georgian Armed Forces. Currently, it has 2,971 military and civilian personnel, fixed wing aircraft , helicopters of different types and air defense missiles of the "surface-to-air" class. The Air Force was founded in 1991 in the wake of the break-up...
- on its SU-25KM Scorpion : Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
- on its on new Su-30MKI
Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is an air superiority fighter jointly developed by Russia's Sukhoi and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force...
s and Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
- on its on new MiG-29Ks.
- Indonesian Air ForceIndonesian Air ForceThe Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
on its Su-30 - People's Liberation Army Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
- received 2000 Kh-29T's in 2002 for use on their Su-27SK's, Su-27UBK's, Su-30MKK's, Shenyang J-11Shenyang J-11The Shenyang J-11 with NATO reporting name: Flanker B+ is a single-seat, twin-engine jet fighter based on the Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-27 air superiority fighter produced by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation...
's and possibly their JH-7Xian JH-7The Xian JH-7 ; NATO reporting name Flounder), also known as the FBC-1 Flying Leopard, is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber in service with the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force , and the People's Liberation Army Air Force...
's ('Flounder') and Q-5Nanchang Q-5The Nanchang Q-5 , also known as the A-5 in its export versions, is a Chinese-built jet ground-attack aircraft based on the Soviet MiG-19. Its main role is close air support.-Design and development:...
's ('Fantan').: Polish Air ForcePolish Air ForceThe Polish Air Force is the military Air Force wing of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej...
- on its on Su-22M4s.: Russian Air ForceRussian Air ForceThe Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
: Syrian Air ForceSyrian Air ForceThe Syrian Air Force is the Aviation branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948.-History:The end of World War II led to a withdrawal of the United Kingdom and France from the Middle East, and this included a withdrawal from Syria...
: Ukrainian Air ForceUkrainian Air ForceThe Ukrainian Air Force is a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force Command and headquarters are located in the city of Vinnytsia....
.: Peruvian Air ForcePeruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
on its Su-25: Venezuelan Air Force on its Su-30: Malaysia Air Force on its Su-30MKM
Former Operators
- Czechoslovak Air ForceCzechoslovak Air ForceThe Czechoslovak Air Force was the air force branch of the military of Czechoslovakia. It was known as the Czechoslovak Army Air Force from 1918–1939...
- passed onto successor states.: East German Air Force.: Hungarian Air ForceHungarian Air ForceThe Hungarian Air Force is the air force branch of the Hungarian Army.- 1918 to Pre–World War II :Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, a small air arm was established operating surviving aircraft from Hungarian factories and training schools...
- on Su-22M3s: Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
- all retired: Slovak Air ForceSlovak Air ForceThe Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic , is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 70 aircraft from 3 major bases - Kuchyňa, Sliač, Prešov...
- Su-22M4s.: Soviet Air ForceSoviet Air ForceThe Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
- passed onto successor states
See also
- Kh-25Kh-25The Kh-25/Kh-25M is a family of Soviet lightweight air-to-ground missiles with a modular range of guidance systems and a range of 10 km. The anti-radar variant is known to NATO as the AS-12 'Kegler and has a range up to 40 km. Designed by Zvezda-Strela, the Kh-25 is derived from the...
(AS-10/12 'Karen/Kegler') - 320 kg missile with 90 kg warhead and 10–25 km range - AGM-65 MaverickAGM-65 MaverickThe AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close-air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities....
- 200–300 kg missile with 57–135 kg warhead and 27 km range - AGM-62 WalleyeAGM-62 WalleyeThe AGM-62 Walleye is a television-guided glide bomb which was produced by Martin Marietta and used by the United States armed forces during the 1960s. Most had a 250 lb high-explosive warhead, some had a nuclear warhead...
I - 1967 US glide bomb delivering 385 kg warhead over 30 km.