"Vikhr" vs. drones: an anti-tank missile as an anti-aircraft missile
Nomenclature of domestic means of combating drones is constantly expanding. It was recently revealed that the 9K121 Vikhr anti-tank missile system has also been deployed for these missions. After minor modifications, the missile gained new capabilities and is now used to protect Russian airspace.
From an interview with the CEO of Kalashnikov
On August 10, the TASS news agency published a lengthy interview with Alan Lushnikov, CEO of the Kalashnikov Concern. The company's CEO discussed its key recent developments, their applications, and future development paths. He also discussed UAVs and counter-UAV operations.
Of particular interest is A. Lushnikov’s story about the expansion of tasks aviation The 9K121 "Vikhr" anti-tank missile system. According to him, due to the changing tactical situation, the system has been upgraded and is now used to intercept air targets.
The Vikhr and its missile were actively used during the special operation to destroy Ukrainian armored vehicles. As an example, the Kalashnikov CEO cited the events of 2023, when the 9K121 system made a significant contribution to countering the enemy's counteroffensive. Then the battlefield situation changed: according to Lushnikov, the widespread use of attack UAVs—along with combat losses and a change in tactics—resulted in a reduction in the enemy's armored vehicle numbers.
The concern responded to this in its own way. They voluntarily modernized the Vikhr missile, adapting it to attack drones in the role weapons "air - air".
Working with a missile in a transport and launch vehicle. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to the concern's CEO, the new modification of the Vikhr has already been deployed to the Army Aviation and is being used to defend Russian airspace. It boasts high combat performance and effectiveness. The anti-tank missile is claimed to be cheaper than specialized anti-aircraft munitions, although this claim requires clarification (see below).
The helicopter carrier itself also offers advantages. It is capable of searching for, pursuing, and attacking aerial targets. There are no plans to expand the range of carriers, for example by adding heavy drones: according to the concern, the helicopters are fully capable of fulfilling their intended missions.
The interview doesn't mention this, but the limitations of the chosen design are obvious. Laser beam guidance requires the carrier to continuously keep the target in its sights and "illuminate" the trajectory until impact. At maximum range, this locks the helicopter to the target for the entire duration of the missile's flight and keeps the vehicle within range of possible return fire. The issue of capturing small and slow-moving aircraft also remains open. drones the Shkval system, originally designed for high-contrast ground and relatively high-speed air targets.
The "cheapness" aspect isn't so simple either. The missile itself is indeed cheaper than an anti-aircraft missile, but when assessing the cost of interception, one must factor in the cost per flight hour of the carrier helicopter and the risk of losing the expensive aircraft. These factors can significantly reduce the savings on the munition.
So far, the Kalashnikov Concern has only announced the new modification; neither the missile itself nor its use have been demonstrated. New materials will likely emerge over time.
The complex and its modernization
The 9K121 "Vikhr" anti-tank missile system was developed since 1980 at the Tula Instrument-Making Design Bureau. It was intended for Su-25 attack aircraft and army aviation helicopters. The guided missiles were intended to engage various classes of armored vehicles, as well as airborne targets with limited flight speeds. In other words, the ability to engage airborne targets was built into the design from the very beginning—though at the time, "airborne targets" meant aircraft and helicopters, not drones.
The first version of the system was accepted into service in 1985. Almost simultaneously, development of the modernized 9K121M Vikhr-M began, officially entering service in 1990. However, economic and organizational difficulties in the early 1990s prevented its widespread implementation.
Ammunition on a Ka-52 helicopter. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
As has now become known, another modernization project was launched no earlier than 2023–2024. It has now been completed, and the upgraded missile has entered service with the Army Aviation. Whether this version of the system has its own designation remains unknown.
Products and components
All modifications of the Vikhr complex have the same composition of components:
- guided missile 9M127 or 9M127-1;
- launcher APU-6 or APU-8;
- I-251 Shkval guidance and control system;
- a set of tools for storage, maintenance, etc.
The missile is housed in a cylindrical body with a conical nose cone. The nose contains rudders, and the tail contains a stabilizer. These stabilizers fold inside the container for transport. The nose cone houses the warhead, followed by a solid-fuel motor; the tail contains the control equipment. The missile's key parameters are as follows:
- length - 2,75 m;
- case diameter - 130 mm;
- rudder span - 240 mm;
- stabilizer span - 380 mm;
- starting weight - 45 kg.
The 9M127 is supplied in a 2,8-meter-long, 140-mm-diameter transport and launch container. The munition and container weigh 59 kg. Six or eight transport and launch containers (TLCs) are mounted on standard APU-6/8 launchers.
The solid-fuel engine provides flight characteristics suitable for combat missions. Below are reference data for the Vikhr-M:
- maximum flight speed is about 600 m/s;
- maximum range - up to 10 km;
- launch altitude – up to 4000 m;
- Flight time at maximum range is 26–28 sec.
The basic version has a shorter range - about 8 km.
Launch of a Vikhr missile. Photo by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The Vikhr system uses laser beam guidance. A laser receiver is located in the missile's tail, and the autopilot processes the data from it.
The target is searched and tracked by the helicopter's instruments. Upon launch, a laser beam is directed at the target; the munition moves along the beam and automatically adjusts its course. This method ensures high accuracy and makes it difficult to jam the control channel, but requires the carrier to maintain constant target acquisition.
Depending on the modification, the 9M127 missile carries a warhead weighing between 8 and 12 kg. This tandem shaped charge is designed to defeat armored vehicles with explosive reactive armor; it can penetrate up to 1000 mm of homogeneous armor behind explosive reactive armor. A contact fuse is used for combat against armored vehicles.
Engaging air targets at subsonic speeds—up to 800 km/h, that is, enemy tactical aircraft—was envisioned in the original design. For this purpose, the missile was equipped with a proximity fuse. Officially, the details of the recent modification were not disclosed; it can be assumed that the proximity fuse was specifically affected—updated or replaced. This fuse detonates the warhead as it passes close to the target, compensating for a miss on a high-speed maneuvering target and damaging it with fragments.
The 9K121 Vikhr system is used on several platforms. It is carried by late-model Su-25 attack aircraft, as well as Mi-28 and Ka-52 attack helicopters. These platforms are equipped with Shkval systems and associated equipment as standard, and the required number of launchers are mounted under the wings.
New role
The Vikhr complex was created primarily for the destruction of tanksAnti-aircraft capability was also envisaged, but by this, they meant tactical aircraft and helicopters. The novelty of the current application is that this capability has been extended to combat UAVs, which are significantly slower than previous aerial targets.
The Vikhr system's use through the eyes of a pilot operator. Photo courtesy of Kalashnikov Concern.
The situation above the battlefield and in the rear has changed. Enemy aircraft are being successfully intercepted by anti-aircraft systems and fighter jets during the special operation. However, the threat from attack UAVs, including long-range ones, has increased.
Experience has shown that attack helicopters are highly effective against UAVs. They have suitable flight characteristics, a variety of detection systems, cannons, and air-to-air missiles. Alone or in combination with other assets, helicopters are capable of searching for and destroying UAVs in flight.
In addition to specialized weapons, the standard Vikhr anti-tank missile was also tested against drones. According to available reports, it generally performed well, but required further modifications to achieve better results.
The 9M127's performance in this new role is facilitated by several factors: its superior flight performance, proximity detonation capability, and a sufficiently powerful warhead. The guidance system itself also helps—all the complex electronics remain on the helicopter, not the missile.
History The "Vikhr" is an isolated but illustrative case: something already in the arsenal was adapted to address a new threat, rather than waiting for a specialized product. Independent combat data will reveal how effective this solution will be against mass-produced UAVs. These are not yet available.
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