The Kh-31 family of missiles includes the baseline Kh-31P ARM and its variants, namely the Kh-31PK and the extended-range Kh-31PD. The Kh-31P can be fitted with various passive radar seekers. The weapon is designed to engage both ground- and sea-based radar stations. The missile carries an 87 kg warhead. The Kh-31P has a launch range of 15-110 km and a maximum speed of 1,000 m/s. The launch range of Kh-31PD missile, has been doubled
The Kh-31PK features a proximity sensor and compared to that of the baseline Kh-31P .© N. Novichkov an improved warhead. The missile`s basic specifications are equal to those of the Kh-31P. According to him, China was trying to copy the missile; however, these efforts failed. “China could not copy the missile. At the same time, Increasing the range they continue their endeavour to develop an The increase of missiles` launch range is analogue missile. The fact that China uses the among the primary targets set before KTRV. Kh-31P missiles reveals the failure of its efforts The accomplishing of this goal has resulted to create such a missile,” the representative in the development of the Kh-31PD, the of KTRV said. The Chinese copy of the Khlaunch range of which has been almost 31 produced by Hongdu AIC is designated doubled compared to that of the baseline YJ-91 (Ying Ji 91). The Hongdu Aviation Kh-31P. The Kh-31PD can engage a radar Industry Group is reported to be developing station at a range of up to 180-250 km. The the anti-radiation and anti-ship variants of missile features a combined guidance, which the YJ-91 missile. includes an inertial navigation system and a passive radar seeker, and a 110 kg universal KTRV is successfully implementing a programme or cluster warhead. The preemptive attack to replace imported components. It has resulted capability of the air-launched weapon has in the replacement of all the Kh-31`s foreignbeen drastically improved, owing to extended originated parts by Russian-made fully similar range. In a case, when the Kh-31PD and an copies. “In late 2017, we have replaced all the enemy`s surface-to-air missile are launched imported components, namely, Ukrainian-made simultaneously, an aircraft is at advantage as connectors and radio parts,” the representative a result of high average speed of the Russian of the corporation concluded. missile. The Kh-31P is the first air-launched tactical The Kh-31 is attached to the external hard missile powered by a combined powerplant points of a fighter jet. “The length of the that incorporates a ramjet engine and a missile`s fins makes its integration with an solid-fuel booster. The implementation of internal weapon bay impossible. Hence, the this solution has resulted in high supersonic AKU-58 catapult ejector drops it [the Kh-31]. average flight speed of the weapon. The Owing to a ramjet engine, the speed of the missile`s radar seeker searches for targets, missile can be maintained during all stages of using information provided by the carrier its flight. It is important in a duel situation,” the or gathered autonomously, tracks them and representative of KTRV said. shapes signals for the guidance system. EDR | May/June 2018
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