Report reveals Emirati Kh-31 contract


The Kh-31's high speed is derived from its ramjet propulsion system. This artist's impression shows the missile's four air intakes covered by conical caps, which that are ejected after launch to allow air into the ramjet combustion chamber. Source: KTRV

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed interest in the Kh-31 (AS-17 'Krypton') supersonic missile, according to the annual report recently released by Russia's Tactical Missiles Corporation (TMC).

The report noted a potential USD14 million contract to provide the UAE with pricing and availability information for both the Kh-31A and Kh-31P versions of the missile. It lists 2014-15 as the delivery date for the contract.

The Kh-31A is an active-radar-guided anti-ship missile with a range of 70 km when launched from an altitude of 15 km (49,000 ft), according to TMC. The Kh-31P is the passive-radar-guided version and carries an

87 kg high-explosive/fragmentation warhead that TMC says can be used against both land- and sea-based radars.

With a maximum speed of 1,000 m/s, both types are extremely fast, giving their targets little time to take defensive countermeasures. This is a far higher speed than that of the AM 39 Exocet and AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles currently in the UAE's inventory.

http://www.janes.com/article/25923/r...kh-31-contract