Rumors and assessments: in anticipation of the Kh-50 cruise missile
Estimated appearance of the Kh-50 missile. Jane's graphics
A few years ago it became known that for the far aviation VKS is developing a new medium-range air-launched cruise missile Kh-SD or Kh-50. Work on this product is gradually approaching completion, and in the foreseeable future it will go into service. At the same time, the new missile is already causing concern to the enemy, and in addition, there are rumors about the beginning of its combat use.
Concerns and rumors
Since last year, missile-carrying bombers of our long-range aviation have been regularly attacking distant enemy targets. Tu-95MS, Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 aircraft solve such tasks with the help of Kh-55, Kh-101 and Kh-22 cruise missiles. The characteristics of these weapons correspond to the tasks set, and they show high efficiency.
Not so long ago, in mid-April 2023, the Ukrainian General Staff expressed concerns about the possible appearance of a new long-range weapons. Referring to some of their data, the enemy General Staff reported that in June Russia would begin mass production of promising X-50 ALCMs. For some time, a stock of such products will be accumulated, which will then begin to be used in strikes against Ukrainian targets.
However, the Kiev command tried to reassure the public. It once again raised the issue of the imaginary backwardness of Russian industry and its inability to mass-produce modern systems and products. Similar theses soon appeared in the publications of the foreign press in the wake of reports from the Ukrainian General Staff.
Rocket X-101 during the suspension on the Tu-160. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
For the next few months, the X-50 missile was practically forgotten, and new reports about it appeared only in the first days of August. In the Russian-speaking blogosphere, and then in the press, rumors appeared about the beginning of the combat use of such missiles as part of the Special Operation. Basically, only some sorties from the Kh-50 and attacks on Ukrainian targets are mentioned. For example, Rossiyskaya Gazeta on August 3, citing unnamed media, wrote about the growth in production and the active use of such missiles.
However, such rumors are not confirmed. Official reports on the entry into service of long-range aviation of the Kh-50 missile and its use have also not been received. In addition, there is no relevant information from the enemy - he did not show the wreckage and details that could be associated with the X-50 product.
Interim results
Apparently, the Kh-50 / Kh-SD cruise missile project is still at the stage of development, testing, etc. It takes some time to complete the work, and the appearance of finished products in the arsenals of the Aerospace Forces remains a matter of an uncertain future. When exactly this will happen is unknown.
Despite such uncertainty, the promising Russian ALCM is already causing concern to the enemy. The Ukrainian General Staff spoke directly about the danger of the X-50 product for its military infrastructure. Strikes of this kind are expected in the fall, in a few weeks or months.
Kh-101 on a bomber ejection mount. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The reaction of Ukrainian military leaders to a promising Russian missile is incomprehensible. Since February-March last year, our long-range aviation has been actively using several types of existing ALCMs against enemy targets. Attack UAVs, sea-based missiles and land-based systems are also actively used. All these funds cause significant damage to the Ukrainian infrastructure. Why in this situation they decided to pay attention to a promising model of weapons is a big question.
Waiting for the rocket
According to known data, the development of the future X-SD rocket or "Product 715" started in the early nineties. The purpose of this project was to create a new medium-range ALCM to complement the existing long-range Kh-55 product and the promising Kh-101. The future X-SD was planned to be used in situations where the range of these missiles would be excessive.
The development of a new rocket was carried out at the Raduga State Design Bureau named after A.I. AND I. Bereznyak, who had extensive experience in creating such weapons. Due to the well-known problems of the nineties, the speed of the work left much to be desired, and the main part of the design was completed only in the first half of the tenth.
In 2014, Raduga and the Tupolev company entered into a contract on joint activities. It is assumed that this agreement was related to the X-SD / X-50 project. In 2016-18 the project has reached the stage of ground testing of individual rocket assemblies and / or the entire product assembly. Accordingly, by the end of the decade, the first test launches could take place, and in the early twenties the rocket could be brought into service.
Kh-101 used during the Special Operation. Photo Lostarmour.info
How these stages of work went is unknown. Official information of this kind has not yet been received, although rumors of various kinds circulate. However, it can be expected that the X-50 project - if it was not abandoned for some reason - is approaching its successful completion. In this case, long-range aviation will receive a completely new weapon in the coming years.
Technical potential
According to known data, the Kh-50 missile is a kind of analogue of the existing Kh-101 and is built using the same or similar solutions and components. It is assumed that the new project again uses a composite airframe with characteristic contours, which reduces radar visibility. There is also a wing and empennage that can be deployed in flight.
The new ALCM is characterized by a reduced flight range, which reduces the required amount of fuel and makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the airframe. The serial product X-101 has a length of approx. 7,5 m and a launch weight of 2,4 tons. Accordingly, the promising Kh-50 missile should be significantly smaller and lighter.
It is supposed to use a short-life turbojet engine. With its help, the X-50 should develop a high subsonic speed - like the X-55 or X-101. At the same time, the range, according to various estimates, does not exceed 1500-1600 km. For comparison, the existing long-range ALCMs fly 5500 km.
Actual ALCMs are equipped with a guidance system based on inertial and satellite navigation, and also use correction according to a reference terrain map. Probably, in the Kh-SD / "715" project, such a composition of equipment was retained, and it allows you to hit ground targets in the entire range of ranges from the KVO to several meters.
Tu-160 bomber launches Kh-55 missile. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Kh-50 can carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead of a large mass. Probably, in terms of the power of the warhead, the new missile does not differ from its non-nuclear predecessors. Nothing is known about the possibility of installing a special warhead.
The carriers of the new ALCM should be the strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS - with placement on an internal multi-position ejection mount or on an external sling. Such carriers will be able to take on board up to 10-12 missiles. It cannot be ruled out that the reduced dimensions and weight will make it possible to use the Kh-50 on the Tu-22M3M bomber as well. In all cases, some hardware and software upgrades will be required to be compatible with the missile. It can also be expected that the Kh-50 will initially be included in the ammunition load of the promising PAK DA aircraft.
Weapons of the future
Thus, the Aerospace Forces and the defense industry continue to work on the further development of long-range aviation weapons. In the foreseeable future, the new Kh-50 cruise missile should become the next result of this process. She will have to supplement the existing weapons and, due to other characteristics, expand the combat capabilities of strategic bombers.
At present, long-range aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces has to use Kh-55 and Kh-101 long-range missiles to solve the tasks ahead. Their range at the level of 5500 km is often excessive for such strikes, which worsens the economic performance of a sortie. The new Kh-50 missile will allow performing the same combat missions, but at the same time optimizing costs. In addition, it is possible that the smaller size of the ALCM will increase the ammunition load of the aircraft, and this will be an additional advantage.
The updated range of missiles, which includes products of different types with different characteristics, will become a more flexible and convenient tool for solving all the intended tasks. Due to this, the combat capabilities of long-range aviation will improve markedly. However, it is not yet known when such changes will occur. Of all the relevant information about the X-50 project, so far there are only rumors without confirmation.
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