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Missile Stars


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• In Defence of Russian Defence • Rotors from Russia • NIIP: Radar Innovators • Missile Stars
Top: The MiG 29M multi-role fighter carrying KH-31A and KH-31P missiles

Director General Designer Sergei Yakovlev explains how the SSPC Zvezda-Strela plant is modernising Russia's tactical weapons.

The Russian State Scientific Production Centre (SSPC) Zvezda-Strela is a major designer and manufacturer of tactical guided missiles capable of destroying different surface and water-borne targets. Situated in the heart of Russia's missile industry, it has over 40 years of experience in developing aircraft guided weapons.

Commercial expansion
SSPC Zvezda-Strela is concentrating on missile integration, making their use more universal for all types of air, surface or sea launch platforms. Together with missile design for the Russian Armed Forces, SSPC is now adopting an active commercial expansion policy to gain a solid foothold in the international arms market. This is based on an intensive modernisation of missiles that are already in serial production, as well as prospective developments and on co-operation with other companies.

The basic criteria of SSPC Zvezda-Strela's missile development are: module structure, platform integration and technical service continuity. These, together with a high level of design, create the optimum technical and maintenance environment to permit a reduction in development time and the cost of testing, and facilitate the adaptation of basic missile types for different kinds of carrier.

World famous missiles


The KH-31A anti-radar guided missile

The development of tactical weapons ordered by foreign clients is carried out using three basic technical specifications:

short-range module missiles based on a common airframe, rocket motor and changeable modules of seeker units (KH-25M);

medium-range supersonic missiles based on a common airframe, combined ramjet and different types of guidance system (KH-31);

subsonic, platform-integrated, low-altitude, medium-range cruise missiles (KH-35).

The aircraft module tactical short-range
KH-25M (NATO: AS-10 Karen), aircraft high-speed KH-31 (NATO: AS-17 Krypton) missiles, and subsonic, anti-ship, low-altitude KH-35 (NATO: AS-20 Kayak) missiles are famous throughout the world. They can hit a target at the first attempt in any weather conditions, including diverse, day or night, with total after-launch, self-contained guidance.

SSPC provides after-sales maintenance to prolong the planned service and storage life of missiles that have already been delivered to foreign customers and its experts also carry out R&D work to enhance and upgrade the combat quality of serial manufactured missiles.

KH-25M base module
Various versions of the KH-25M module missile are in service around the world: the KH-25MR, with a radio command guidance system; the KH-25ML, with a semi-active laser guidance system; and the KH-25MP (NATO: AS-12 Kegler), with a passive radar guidance system. SSPC's designers have also developed missiles with TV homing (KH-25MT), imaging infrared (KH-25MTP) and improved passive radar (KH-25MPU) guidance systems.

A wide range of new 24-hour combat applications also have been incorporated, including the use of fire-and-forget principles, high jam-proof and precision of guidance characteristics. Their small weight and overall dimensions, together with an easy-to-use software interface, mean the KH-25MT and KH-25MTP missiles can be used by light combat aircraft, trainer aircraft and helicopters in single and salvo launch modes. The KH-25MPU missile, developed from the KH-25MP, gains new combat capabilities by extending the seeker's range of working frequencies and incorporating advanced jam-proof features.

KH-31 combined ramjet


The KH-31P supersonic, all weather, tactical air-to-surface missile

The KH-31 series are the first serial production aircraft missiles in the world to boast a combined ramjet. They are very effective against radar-emitting, highly manoeuvrable and mobile water-borne targets when launched from out-of-reach air defence systems. The supersonic target MA-31, based on the KH-31A missile, was successfully tested during tender shootings at the US Navy testing centre at Point Mugu, California. US programme leaders confirmed that the missiles meet all the requirements for this type of weapon.

The use of the combined ramjet allows a supersonic speed at mach 2 during the entire flight trajectory and, as a result, ensures a greater chance of target engagement. SSPC Zvezda-Strela successfully solved the problem of designing missiles with strict size-mass limitations by including a solid booster in the ramjet combustion chamber, thereby drastically increases its energy characteristics.

The basic missile scheme provides great possibilities for further modernisation and adaptation to client specifications. The optimisation of the fuel consumption control alone can bring a twofold increase in a missile's launch range while maintaining a high average speed of flight trajectory.

SSPC has adopted the anti-ship missile approach that means that its missiles can be launched from all types of platforms. For example, the small-size KH-35 missile can be used from ground, ship and aircraft launchers. The aircraft version has been developed specifically to allow its attachment to a serial launcher, that extends the combat capabilities of a helicopter or aircraft.

Using the KH-35 as a base module, SSPC also has produced a tactical cruise missile capable of hitting a wide range of small-size, survivable ground- and water-borne targets within a depth of 200km of the enemy defence line. This missile carries TV homing or imaging infrared seekers, transmission-radio command link and HE warhead and its self-contained guidance system allows it a pinpoint approach to the target, that is especially important when used from a single-seat aircraft.

Upgrading customer specifications

Among several new Zvezda-Strela projects one deserves special mention - the purpose-built target missile. The supersonic MA-31 and subsonic low-altitude Its-35 targets are all designed and tested on the basis of the KH-31A, KH-31P and KH-35 serial missiles. At a client's request SSPC can modernise the MA-31 into an MA-31D version with extended flight range characteristics similar to those of the Vandal.

SSPC's scientific-technical potential and manufacturing capabilities allow it to execute export orders on a wide range of products and services: the delivery of serial products; products manufactured to a client's specification; sale of a licence to manufacture goods and technologies; modernisation to a client's specification of already delivered missiles; development of separate weapon parts; after-guarantee service of previously delivered products; specialist training and planned maintenance service by SSPC's experts anywhere in the world; and all types of work and services to develop and modernise manufacturing equipment.

Years of experience in design and hi-tech serial production allow SSPC Zvezda-Strela to offer its products at very affordable prices. The company is also very effective at maintaining already delivered missiles wherever they are in the world, thanks to its well-developed and very effective servicing system.