"The Carpet" Fills a Niche: What the S-71K's Appearance in the Aerospace Forces' Arsenal Means
The Ukrainian side regularly reports the acquisition of new weapons with improved performance by the Russian army. The latest such reports appeared at the end of April. This time, the missile in question is the newest air-launched cruise missile, the S-71K "Kover." This missile combines a simple design with relatively high combat performance.
As a result of the strikes…
The use of Carpet missiles was first reported by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. On April 27, it published a short report on the matter. It described instances of the new Russian missiles being used, provided technical assessments, and so on. Furthermore, photographs of the fallen missiles were shown, revealing some design features.
The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have allegedly been using the new S-71K air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) since late last year. Statistics on their use remain classified. The number of missiles used and the number of targets hit are unknown. However, given the peculiarities of Ukrainian reports, such information from Kyiv is unlikely to reflect the actual situation.
The published photographs reveal various design features of the new missiles. They generally correspond with existing information about the S-71 missiles. However, new information regarding the overall architecture, components, and other details has also been published.
Ukrainian reconstruction of the appearance of the ALCM "Kovyor", made from the wreckage
Interestingly, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is once again pointing to the component base. Allegedly, the production of Russian ALCMs actively uses parts from the United States, Germany, Japan, and other countries. Some of these countries previously imposed sanctions on Russia and are blocking official electronics supplies. Nevertheless, the necessary components are still being supplied to missile production.
Ukrainian reports about the S-71K predictably attracted attention. However, as always, they went unanswered by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Russian Ministry of Defense traditionally does not comment on the other side's reports in such situations.
S-71 family
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense mentions the index S-71 and the code name "Kovyor." These designations have previously appeared in the open press and correspond to a real project of the Russian defense industry. It can be assumed that its development has been completed, and the new type of ammunition has entered combat use.
According to available information, two projects with the common designation S-71 have been in development since at least the late 2010s. According to publicly available information, the prime contractor is Sukhoi, a company within the United Aircraft Corporation. The goal of the project was to create two cruise missiles/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to equip the Su-57 fifth-generation multirole fighter. One of them received the designation S-71K and the nickname "Kover," while the other is known as the S-71M "Monochrome."
Place in the line of air-launched cruise missiles
To understand the meaning of the new project, it is worth comparing it with existing examples. aviation Ground attack weapons. The Kh-101 strategic cruise missile is a long-range cruise missile with a range of up to 5500 km in its basic configuration, designed to strike critical targets deep behind enemy lines. Modifications with a warhead heavier than 800 kg reduce the range to 2500–3000 km. The Kh-59MK2 is a high-precision tactical ALCM with inertial-satellite guidance and an optoelectronic correction system, designed to engage small targets with known coordinates; its maximum launch range is approximately 285–290 km. The Grom-E guided missile occupies a niche between an aerial bomb and a missile: the Grom-E1, with a rocket engine, hits targets at a range of up to 120 km when launched from high altitude, while the Grom-E2, a gliding missile without an engine, hits targets at a range of up to 50 km.
The S-71K "Kovyor," based on available data, does not attempt to compete with either of these missiles in accuracy or range. Its purpose is different: the mass destruction of stationary ground targets with known coordinates at ranges of hundreds of kilometers, with minimal per-shot cost. In its overall architecture, the "Kovyor" is similar to the American AGM-158 JASSM (stealth-optimized airframe, compact turbojet engine, inertial-satellite guidance), but conceptually it departs in the opposite direction: the JASSM is a high-precision and expensive missile designed for individual use, while the "Kovyor" is designed for mass strikes against area and stationary targets. In this respect, the Israeli Delilah, a relatively simple subsonic ALCM with no pretensions to hitting moving targets, is closer.
The fuselage of a fallen missile. The warhead, shaped like a completed aerial bomb, is visible.
In recent years, photographs of Su-57s carrying S-71 prototypes on external slings have been published several times in open sources. Both versions of the new ALCM underwent testing, but the details of these trials remain unknown.
Recent ones news show that the work has been successfully completed and that the prospects weapon The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) has received the S-71K missile. The enemy claims to have begun combat use of the S-71K missile. However, there has been no information yet about combat launches of the second missile in the family, the S-71M. It's possible that such a weapon is already being prepared for use, and news on this topic will follow soon.
The Carpet Project
The S-71K "Kovyor" is an air-launched cruise missile for tactical (frontline) aircraft. The Su-57 is considered its primary launch vehicle, but according to available information, the missile has been adapted for use on other platforms, including the Su-35S multirole fighter, the Su-34 frontline bomber, and the prospective S-70 "Okhotnik" heavy attack UAV. It is proposed to be used to engage ground targets with known coordinates.
The key feature of the project is its clear focus on mass production and low cost. This is supported by all available design information: a relatively simple composite airframe, a minimal set of guidance equipment, a standard compact turbojet engine, and—most tellingly—a production-standard FAB-250 air bomb casing serving as the warhead. This combination of features allows for an ALCM with a range of hundreds of kilometers, eliminating the need for expensive components such as optical or radar seekers and a specially designed warhead. Essentially, the "Carpet" is an attempt to reduce the cost of a cruise missile to a level that allows it to be used in series, rather than individually, against area and stationary targets.
The "Carpet" features a composite airframe with a distinctive shape, indicating reduced radar signature. The fuselage has a polygonal cross-section and a pointed nose. The folding wing hinges are located near the nose, and a V-shaped stabilizer is located in the tail.
The exact dimensions of the S-71K remain unknown. Indirect estimates, based on the warhead's weight, place the missile's launch weight at approximately 500–600 kg.
Turbojet rocket engine
According to Ukrainian sources, the ALCM is equipped with an R500 turbojet engine from the Moscow-based company Reynolds; this information has not been confirmed by open Russian sources. The engine produces 70 kgf of thrust and provides a range of approximately 300 km.
The control and guidance system is simple, based on satellite and inertial navigation. The missile flies along pre-set coordinates; there is no provision for engaging moving targets.
According to available information, the warhead is the casing of a 250 kg bomb (FAB-250 or similar). The casing is installed inside the missile without a tail. Detonation is provided by a contact fuse. A charge of approximately 90 kg of TNT allows it to destroy personnel in open terrain and behind cover, light armored vehicles, various structures, etc.
Product "Monochrome"
The S-71M "Monokhrom" is referred to not only as a cruise missile, but also as a UAV or loitering munition. There are grounds for this: according to available data, it combines the features and capabilities of all these weapon classes, increasing its flexibility and expanding its range of missions.
What is known from photographs and publications: "Monochrome" has its own airframe, different from that of "Kovr": the fuselage is simpler, but it also uses folding wings and a V-tail. In terms of dimensions and weight, the two aircraft are comparable. The powerplant is a turbojet.
What is assumed. According to several sources, the S-71M missile's airframe is similar to the S-71K—however, available photographic evidence tends to refute this. Flight characteristics, even approximate ones, have not been published; it is only reported that the Monokhrom can either fly directly to a target or loiter in a designated area for a period of time, searching for an attack target. The guidance system, according to available information, is expected to retain inertial-satellite navigation and additionally acquire target acquisition capabilities—optical or radar. Information on the missile's payload is lacking; it is likely that a single-warhead high-explosive fragmentation warhead is used, including as a ready-to-use munition. The possibility of other types of warheads also cannot be ruled out.
Product S-71M "Monochrome"
What does this give to the VKS?
The introduction of the S-71K "Kover" fills a significant gap in the domestic range of air-to-air weapons. Until now, the Aerospace Forces lacked a standard, low-cost, long-range ALCM designed for mass use against stationary targets with known coordinates: existing models are either too expensive (the Kh-101 and similar) or have a significantly shorter range (the Kh-59MK2 has a range of approximately 290 km, while guided bombs with gliding and correction modules have a range of tens of kilometers).
First and foremost, this concerns its intended application: the Carpet is designed for strikes against warehouses, headquarters, communications centers, energy facilities, and other stationary infrastructure in operational and near-strategic depth, at ranges of up to 300 km. Equally important is the project's economics: the use of a standard FAB-250 hull and a simplified guidance system should significantly reduce the cost per shot compared to strategic ALCMs, which is critical in protracted combat. Finally, the Carpet and Monokhrom combination provides a foundation for the future: the same launchers can flexibly combine mass, low-cost strikes with pinpoint attacks on moving or small targets.
The range of launch vehicles also contributes to the expansion of capabilities: in addition to the Su-57, the missile is adapted for the Su-35S, Su-34, and the advanced S-70 Okhotnik UAV, which eliminates the concept's dependence on the production of fifth-generation fighters and allows the Kover to be deployed in combat by frontline aviation units. In a typical mass strike scenario, such an ALCM operates not alone, but as part of a package—along with strategic missiles, loitering munitions, and simulation systems, overloading Defense enemy and increasing the chances of hitting priority targets.
The concept, however, is not free of vulnerabilities. A subsonic missile with inertial-satellite guidance, no maneuvering capability, and no jam-resistant seeker is potentially vulnerable to modern air defense systems and GPS/GLONASS jamming systems; reducing radar signature mitigates, but does not eliminate, this problem. The effectiveness of the Carpet is directly dependent on the rate of production: a "cheap mass-produced ALCM" produced in small batches fails to fulfill its intended purpose. The product will only acquire real value if mass-produced in quantities significantly exceeding the current capabilities of the Kh-101 and Kh-59.
Conclusion
Under the general index S-71, two different munitions were actually created: the utilitarian mass-produced ALCM "Kover", operating by coordinates, and the more complex "Monochrome" - closer to drones and loitering munitions, capable of independently seeking out targets. The reason for combining such different products in a single project is unknown; it's likely that in the early stages they were closer to each other, but their missions later diverged.
An Su-57 with two types of experimental missiles. Under the right wing is an S-71K, under the left is an S-71M.
The "Kovyor" missile has already been used in a special military operation, and the enemy is taking notice. The "Monokhrom," with its broader capabilities, is next in line—this product will also not go unnoticed. If the stated characteristics and approaches are confirmed in actual use, and serial production reaches the pace required for the "massive, low-cost missile" concept, the S-71 project will be one of the most significant additions to the Aerospace Forces' arsenal in recent years. Much depends on whether mass production can be established, rather than individual pilot batches.
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