The Zvezda Kh-35 is a Soviet turbojetsubsonic cruise anti-ship missile. The same missile can also be launched from helicopters, surface ships and coastal defence batteries with the help of a rocket booster, in which case it is known as Uran or Bal. It is designed to attack vessels up to 5,000 tonnes.
The Kh-35 missile is a subsonic weapon featuring a normal aerodynamic configuration with cruciform wings and fins and a semisubmerged air duct intake. The propulsion unit is a turbofan engine. The missile is guided to its target at the final leg of the trajectory by commands fed from the active radar homing head and the radio altimeter. Target designation data can be introduced into the missile from the launch aircraft or ship or external sources. Flight mission data is inserted into the missile control system after input of target coordinates. An inertial system controls the missile in flight, stabilizes it at an assigned altitude and brings it to a target location area. At a certain target range, the homing head is switched on to search for, lock on and track the target. The inertial control system then turns the missile toward the target and changes its flight altitude to an extremely low one. At this altitude, the missile continues the process of homing by the data fed from the homing head and the inertial control system until a hit is obtained. The Kh-35 can be employed in fair and adverse weather conditions at sea states up to 5–6, by day and night, under enemy fire and electronic countermeasures. Its aerodynamic configuration is optimized for high subsonic-speed sea-skimming flight to ensure stealthy characteristics of the missile. The missile has low signatures thanks to its small dimensions, sea-skimming capability and a special guidance algorithm ensuring highly secure operational modes of the active radar seeker. Its ARGS-35E active radar seeker operates in both single and multiple missile launch modes, acquiring and locking on targets at a maximum range of up to 20 km. A new radar seeker, Gran-KE has been developed by SPE Radar MMS and will be replacing the existing ARGS-35E X band seeker.
Operational history
The Kh-35 missile entered service in 2003. In July 2003, the system created by the "Tactical Missiles Corporation" passed the state tests and began to come into service of ships of the Russian Navy. Today it is generally accepted that in the criterion of "cost-effectiveness", "Uran-E" is one of the best systems in the world. It has also been acquired by India. The Bal coastal missile system in the fall of 2004 showed excellent results in the state tests and entered service in 2008. A Bal system has four self-propelled launcher vehicles each carrying eight missiles for a total of 32 missiles in a salvo, plus reloads for another wave. The launchers can be up to 10 km from the coast and hit targets at ranges up to. Currently, the Bal system is equipped with an upgraded version of the Kh-35E increasing range to. At IMDS 2019, a new version of the Russian Bal-E coastal defence system was presented for the 1st time. The 4-tube Rubezh-ME, dedicated to the export market, is based on a Kamaz 63501 8x8 chassis which is more compact than the MZKT-7930 of the original Bal-E. From 2001–2015, Russia supplied Vietnam with 198 Kh-35E missiles for sea-based use. As of May 2020, Vietnam has started serial production of their indigenous KCT-15 anti-ship missile based on the Kh-35E, covering three types of Kh-35E missiles for sea-launched, air-launched, and coastal defense as part of the 3K60 Bal/SSC-6 Sennight mobile coastal defense system.
Variants
Kh-35 - Base naval version for Russia.
Kh-35E - Export version of Kh-35.
Kh-35U - Base upgrade unified missile, version for Russia in production. Capable of striking land targets.
Kh-35UE - Export version of Kh-35U, in production.
Kh-35V - Version for Russia, launched from a helicopter.
3M-24EMV - Export version of Kh-35 missile-target without warhead for Vietnam.
Kh-35 Uran/Uran-E - Shipborne equipment of the control system with a missile Kh-35/Kh-35E.
Bal/Bal-E - Coastal missile complex with Kh-35/Kh-35E missiles.
KN-09 Kumsong/GeumSeong-3 - KN0v 0x 01, KN19 Reported North Korean copy of the Kh-35U. Kumsong-3 is a North Korean domestic variant/clone of Kh-35 likely based on Kh-35U due to range. Demonstrated range in 2017, June 8 test is 240 km..
Kh-37 or Kh-39 - possible name for nuclear-tipped variant.
**Two Bal missile systems delivered in 2017 and one more in November 2018 for the BSF. Two more systems in 2019 and 2020 for the PF and CFl.
*The Russian Air Force has acquired since 2014 an unknown number of Kh-35U missiles integrated with the Sukhoi Su-35S fighter aircraft and the Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers.
– Bal Coastal missile complex being delivered.
– 198 Kh-35E missiles delivered in 2001–2015. The missile is also license-produced as KCT-15 by Vietnam.
