Russia may be testing advanced Su-57 missiles in Ukraine

Russia appears to have used the Kh-69 cruise missile, developed for the Su-57 aircraft, to strike targets in Ukraine.

War_Home Account The Ukrainian military support group last week released a photo of a missile tail fragment, saying it was part of a "Russian Kh-69 cruise missile shot down" in the fierce attack on Ukraine on February 7.

The War_monitor_ua account later said that Russian forces launched three Kh-69 missiles and three Kh-59 projectiles in raids targeting Poltava, Sumy and Mykolaiv provinces, claiming that Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted five of these targets.

"The appearance of the Kh-69 may not be as shocking as the news that Russia deployed the Zircon hypersonic missile. However, it shows that Moscow is increasingly ready to use advanced missiles, which have just finished the testing phase in real combat situations," said US military expert Tyler Rogoway.

The Russian Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian military have not commented on the information.

A piece of the tail fin suspected to be from the Kh-69 missile in a photo released last week. Photo: Telegram/War_Home

The UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) described the Kh-69 late last year as an "air-launched land-attack cruise missile, similar to the British-French Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and the German-made Taurus KEPD 350." Western experts in early 2023 said the Kh-69 was in the final testing phase or had already started production.

The Kh-69 project is based on the Kh-59MK2 tactical cruise missile developed by the Raduga company of Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation (KRTV).

The Kh-59MK2 complex has been comprehensively modified since 2015, to integrate stealth features against enemy radar and heat sensors, while allowing the missile to fit neatly in the weapon bay of the Su-57 stealth fighter.

The developer only kept the guidance system, the missile shell changed from a cylindrical shape to a ladder-shaped box, the pair of lifting wings and 4 rudders at the tail were also folded. The jet turbine engine was hidden in the tail of the missile, instead of being located under the body like the original Kh-59MK2 model.

A model of the Kh-69 missile displayed by Russia at the Army 2022 exhibition. Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin

The upgraded Kh-59MK2 version for the Russian Air Force was renamed Kh-69 by Raduga, to show that this is an almost completely new design compared to the existing missiles in service. In addition to the Su-57, fighters such as the MiG-29K, Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35S can also use this type of missile.

The Kh-69 is designed to engage hardened targets, with an estimated range of over 300 km and a cruising speed of 1,000 km/h. Target coordinates can be loaded into the missile before takeoff or updated in flight. Each missile is equipped with a 300 kg cluster or concrete-piercing warhead.

"The Kh-69 is a significant technological step forward compared to current tactical air-to-surface missiles. It has superior accuracy, range and survivability, despite its much higher production costs," Rogoway commented.

Western experts believe that the Kh-69 is suitable for the mission of attacking targets protected by dense air defense networks deep inside Ukraine, especially when Kiev is deploying many modern Western missile systems. The large range allows many types of Russian aircraft to fire from a safe distance, without having to enter the enemy's air defense zone.

"The main motivation for Russia to deploy new weapons like the Kh-69 is to test their capabilities in real combat environments. This helps to perfect the tactics of use and overcome problems that were not discovered during testing. Combat results also help Moscow decide which weapons should be prioritized for mass production, especially in conditions of limited capacity to produce high-tech weapons," said Rogoway.

Vu Anh (According to War Zone )

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