Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
August 29, 2008
IWG Report 2007
Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
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AS-1
| Country: | Russian Federation |
|---|---|
| Alternate Name: | Kennal, KS-1 |
| Class: | ALCM |
| Target: | Land |
| Length: | 8.25 m |
| Diameter: | 1.20 m |
| Launch Weight: | 3000.00 kg |
| Payload: | 600 kg HE, SAP |
| Propulsion: | Turbojet |
| Range: | 150.00 km |
| Guidance: | INS, command, semi-active radar |
| Status: | Superceded |
| In Service: | 1955-1969 |
Details
The AS-1 Kennal (KS-1) was a short-range, air-launched, turbojet-powered, single warhead, air-to-surface cruise missile developed and manufactured by the Soviet Union. Development began in 1947 along with a related ground-launched missile, the SSC-2B “Samlet” (S-2 Sopka). Both missiles were derived from the MiG-15 fighter aircraft, and developed under the anti-ship missile codename “Komet.”
The AS-1 was the first air-launched cruise missile to be developed by the Soviet Union, designed for use against medium to large surface ships. It was essentially a MiG-15 with the cockpit and undercarriage removed. Its main body was cigar-shaped with delta-shaped wings at mid body and an aircraft-like tail. The missile was 8.25 m long, had a body diameter of 1.2 m, and had a launch weight of 3,000 kg. Its propulsion unit was a MiG-15 turbojet engine, mounted axially. Guidance was by the missile’s inertial navigation system (INS) in the midcourse phase, and by a semi-active radar in the terminal phase which guided the missile to its target. The AS-1 carried a 600 kg high explosive armor-piercing warhead, and had a range of approximately 150 km.
The AS-1 is believed to have entered service in 1955. The missile was deployed on Tu-16 “Badger” aircraft, which carried one AS-1 under each wing. The missile was also exported to Egypt and Indonesia. Sources indicate that most of the AS-1 “Kennal” missiles were replaced by the AS-5 “Kelt” (KSR-2/Kh-11), which was first deployed in 1966. The last AS-1 “Kennal” missiles were removed from service in 1969.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 42 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, July 2005), p. 627; GlobalSecurity.org, “AS-1 KENNEL / SSC-2a SALISH / SSC-2b SAMLET,” available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/as-1.htm, accessed on August 15, 2006.
