New Russian tactical missiles

Russia is keeping pace with the U.S. in the field of long-range precision tactical weaponry, and in some areas it even has an advantage. Let us see in this post three main new missiles that will be employed by the Russian armed forces starting 2015: KH-31PM, KH-35U Uran, and 3M-55 Yakhont

KH-31PM

• Very similar to the Moskit, but smaller and cheaper, this tactical missile is designed for destroying above-water targets, radar stations and anti-aircraft missile complexes such as the Patriot.
• It can be installed in all types of Russian destroyers and bombers.
• The new KH-31PM has an increased range of 160 miles, and is equipped with the broadband guidance head, which can be used against practically all anti-aircraft systems.
• It also has a new guidance system and engine, which make its flight more unpredictable and deadlier for the adversary.

KH-35U Uran

• Russia’s principal new tactical missile is the winged KH-35U Uran missile.
• Its special feature is its unique self-guided head, which is immune to enemy radar interference.
• It works in two modes: active, when the missile turns on its guiding head for a split second to find the target, and passive, when it does not scan the space around it to detect the target, but merely perceives the impulses emitted by the target.
• The KH-35U attacks the target at the height of almost three meters above sea level - lower than the ship's deck, which makes detecting it difficult for radar stations.

3M-55 Yakhont

• The peculiarity of these missiles is their AI (Artificial Intelligence) system, helping it function against a single ship on a "one missile-one ship" basis, or as a "flock" against a squadron of ships.
• The missile distribute and classify the targets according to their significance, choose an attack strategy and the plan of its realization.
• In order to exclude errors in selecting the maneuver and striking the assigned target, electronic "portraits" of all modern types of ships are installed in the anti-ship missile's onboard computing machine.
• The machine also has purely tactical data, such as data on the type of ship squadron, which helps the missile determine what is in front of it - aviation carriers or an amphibious group - and attack the target.
• The onboard computing machine also has data on countering the adversary's electronic combat resources, which can interfere and lead the missiles away from the target, as well as tactical techniques of evading anti-aircraft defense fire.
• The constructors say that after being launched, the missiles decide themselves which one will attack the target and which one will only imitate the attack, distracting the adversary's anti-aircraft systems.
• When one missile destroys the principal target in the squadron, the remaining missiles attack the other ships, excluding the possibility of striking one target with two missiles.