Russia has modernized the Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles, with which the Russian air force most often attacks Ukraine.
This is stated in a new review of the British Ministry of Defense.
Rockets have increased lethality. Now they have an additional second warhead, designed to increase the radius of damage to the target with fragments. This can make the missile more effective at destroying or critically damaging unprotected targets. The British note that the modification probably reduced the flight range of the X-101 by half, but this does not affect the military purpose of the Russian Federation.
Agency analysts note that the Russian army tried to modify its systems and tactics throughout the war, as too many missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.
In general, in the last six months, the Kh-101 has become a means of overloading air defense. Most of these missiles are shot down, although the Russians have already tried to modernize them. For example, a thermal trap firing system was installed on us to counter anti-aircraft missiles.
- The Kh-101 is a strategic air-to-surface cruise missile launched by Tu-95 missile carriers/strategic bombers. The flight range of such a missile is about 5 thousand kilometers. The weight of the warhead reaches 960 kilograms.