Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
March 10, 2010
IWG Report 2009
Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
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AS-4B
| Country: | Russian Federation |
|---|---|
| Alternate Name: | Kitchen, Kh-22MP, Burya |
| Class: | ALCM |
| Target: | Land/Ship |
| Length: | 11.60 m |
| Diameter: | 0.92 m |
| Launch Weight: | 5900.00 kg |
| Payload: | 930 kg HE, blast |
| Propulsion: | Liquid |
| Range: | 400.00 km |
| Guidance: | INS, passive radar |
| Status: | Operational |
| In Service: | 1975-Present |
| Exported: | Ukraine |
Details
The AS-4B “Kitchen” (Kh-22MP Burya) is a short-range, air-launched, liquid-propellant, single warhead, air-to-surface cruise missile developed and manufactured by Russia. It was intended to replace the air-launched AS-3 “Kangaroo” for use against U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and carrier battle groups as well as land-based long-range surveillance radars. The AS-4B carries a 930 kg high explosive fragmentation warhead. Two other versions have been developed, the nuclear armed AS-4A (Kh-22NA) and the conventionally armed AS-4C (Kh-22N).
The AS-4B is 11.67 m in length, has a body diameter of 0.92 m, and has a launch weight of 5,900 kg. It has two delta-shaped wings at mid-body and delta-shaped tails and fin at the rear. It is guided by an inertial navigation system (INS) in the midcourse phase, and by a passive radar in the terminal phase. Powered by a liquid-propellant motor, the AS-4B is designed for high altitude release up to 22 km. When launched at high altitude, the AS-4B has a minimum range of 140 km, a maximum range of 400 km, and a high altitude cruise speed of Mach 4.0. The midcourse phase is followed by a steep dive down onto the target in the terminal phase. The missile can also be released from a low altitude, and can be programmed to cruise at altitudes as low as 1,000 m. At low altitude, the minimum range is 15 km and the maximum range is 250 km.
The AS-4B entered service in 1975 and is deployed on Tu-22 “Blinder” and “Backfire” aircraft. Each Tu-22 can carry three missiles, one under each wing and one in the bomb bay. In 1995, a major upgrade program began, aimed at extending the life of existing missiles as well as developing a further improved version. It is expected that the new Kh-32 missile will eventually replace all AS-4 missiles.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 42 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, July 2005), p. 192-193; GlobalSecurity.org, “Raduga Kh-22 (AS-4 Kitchen),” available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/as-4.htm, accessed on August 1, 2006.
