The Raduga K-10S (NATO reporting name: AS-2 Kipper) was a Soviet supersonic anti-ship missile that was usually nuclear-armed, designed by MKB Raduga. Its development began in 1955, and it entered service with the Soviet armed forces in 1961. The Kipper missile was a very large one, approximately the size of a small jet fighter, because of the rather primitive state of anti-ship missile technology in the 1950s and 1960s. This missile was never used in combat anywhere.
| Raduga K-10S/AS-2 Kipper | |
|---|---|
| Type | anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1961-1994 |
| Wars | Cold War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | MKB Raduga |
| Designed | 1955 |
| Produced | 1961 |
| Variants | P-40 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,533 kg (9,994 lb) |
| Length | 9.75 m (384 in) |
| Diameter | 1 m (39 in) |
| Wingspan | 4.18 m (165 in) |
| Warhead | FK-10 HE[1] or nuclear |
| Warhead weight | 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | impact fuze |
| Blast yield | 350 kilotons of TNT (1,460TJ) |
| Engine | Lyulka AL-5 RD-9FK,[2] Mikulin M-9FK[1] |
Operational range | 260–350 km (160–220 mi; 140–190 nmi) |
| Flight ceiling | 12 km (39,000 ft) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.7 at service ceiling, Mach 1.2 at low altitude |
Guidance system | inertial with terminal active radar homing |
| Accuracy | CEP 150 ft (46 m)[2] |
Launch platform | Tu-16K-10 Badger C |
The AS-2's dedicated launch platform, the Tu-16K-10 Badger C, could carry a single AS-2, semi-recessed in the bomb bay.[2] The Kipper's long range enabled it to be launched, hypothetically, from beyond the range of any shipboard surface-to-air missiles or anti-aircraft guns of that time. The only defense against the Kipper was naval jet fighter aircraft, operating from either an aircraft carrier or a shore airfield.
In flight tests, the Kipper cruised on its approach to a target at an altitude of about 10,000 meters, using inertial guidance until it reaches a range of about 100 to 110 kilometers[3] from the target, where it enters a shallow 15 degree dive, commanded by a mid-course update via radio link. When it reaches a range of 60 to 70 kilometers it levels out at an altitude of between 800 and 1,000 meters where it cruises until it reaches a range of 10 to 16 kilometers, when the missile's active radar homing guidance is engaged. It then enters a dive, striking the target vessel close to or below the waterline.
Notes
edit- ^ a b "K-10S (AS-2 Kipper)". GlobalSecurity. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ a b c "AS-2 Russian and Soviet Nuclear Forces". Federation of American Scientists Nuclear Resources. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ SOVIET STRATEGIC WEAPONS: BACKGROUND FOR SALT (SR IH 69-4) (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 1969. p. 35.
References
editThis article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (December 2014) |
- Gordon, Yefim (2004). Soviet/Russian Aircraft Weapons Since World War Two. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-188-1.