The Russian Air Drive has reportedly made first use of the brand new Kh-59MK2 cruise missile to help ongoing operations in Ukraine, with the brand new weapon having been designed particularly for the Su-57 fifth technology fighter to be deployed from its inside weapons bays. Ukrainian sources declare such a missile was first deployed on February 7, though claims concerning the sorts of property used have usually been doubtful and included export-only weapons not fielded within the Russian Armed Forces. Three Kh-59MK2s have been allegedly launched in opposition to Ukrainian targets in a single day on February 7-8, which might present the primary indication that Su-57s have been concerned in precision assaults on the time. Though the brand new missile is just not identified to be deployed by fighter lessons aside from the Su-57, it’s extremely attainable that one other plane, such because the extra broadly used Su-34 strike fighter, has been used for the primary fight exams earlier than fight testing from the Su-57 itself begins.
First fight examined in Syria in 2018 on Su-57 pre manufacturing fashions briefly deployed there, the Kh-59MK2 was designed because the fighter’s main air to floor armament is optimised for neutralising small hardened targets at lengthy ranges of near 300km. The missile makes use of a 320kg penetrating warhead, however will also be outfitted with a smaller pellet warhead designed to have an effect on targets over a wider space. Different warheads proposed have included a extra highly effective penetrator and a cluster munition provider. The missile is subsonic which permits it to cowl a better vary regardless of its comparatively small measurement, and it’s famously able to altering goal throughout flight. The designation ‘Kh-69’ has lately been broadly used, and doubtlessly refers to a variant with a special warhead, steering system or constructed for export. This was lately positioned on show on the Dubai Airshow.
Studies of the brand new missile’s use observe affirmation that nation’s sole Su-57 regiment has additionally obtained a brand new class of for much longer ranged cruise missile based mostly on the Kh-101/102 deployed by strategic bombers, and that the Drel glide bomb designed for the fighter would possible start deliveries on a big scale in 2025. The comparatively conservative plane has a manufacturing price roughly half that of the Soviet MiG 1.42 fifth technology fighter which was cancelled within the early 2000s. With the Su-57’s stealth capabilities and avionics thought of effectively behind these of the rival Chinese language J-20 and American F-35, the superior capabilities of its missiles are one space the place the Russian plane significantly stands out. No different fifth technology fighter is at the moment identified to be able to deploying the same class of missile to the Kh-59MK2. With Su-57s having been deployed to help operations in Ukraine since mid-2022, presumably as early as March, it stays extremely attainable that the missiles have been used prior to now with this merely not being reported by Ukrainian sources. The Su-57 has emerged as by far essentially the most totally fight examined fighter of its technology, with its operations involving not solely air to floor strikes, but in addition extra complicated air defence suppression and air to air fight at past visible ranges.
