AS-16 Kickback

AS-16 Kickback. The AS-16 Kickback is a Soviet-designed, supersonic, air-launched ballistic missile developed for strategic strike missions. Designed by the Raduga Design Bureau during the late Cold War, it was intended to penetrate dense NATO air defenses by flying a high-speed ballistic trajectory. Entering service with the Soviet Air Forces in 1980, it provided a significant stand-off attack capability against high-value targets such as command centers and airfields.

Development and design

The development of the missile was initiated by the Raduga Design Bureau in the late 1970s as a successor to earlier weapons like the AS-4 Kitchen. The primary requirement from the Soviet Ministry of Defence was for a weapon that could evade interception by advanced Western surface-to-air missile systems like the MIM-104 Patriot. Engineers utilized a solid-fuel rocket motor to achieve extremely high speeds, with the design emphasizing a depressed trajectory flight profile to reduce detection time by enemy radar networks such as those operated by NORAD. The guidance system relied on a sophisticated inertial navigation system programmed before launch from aircraft like the Tupolev Tu-22M, requiring precise coordination with platforms like the Mikoyan MiG-31 for target data. The warhead was designed to carry either a high-explosive or a nuclear payload, with the latter intended for use against hardened targets like the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

Operational history

The missile entered operational service with regiments of the Soviet Air Forces in 1980, primarily arming the Tupolev Tu-22M and later the Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber. It was a key component of Soviet plans for suppressing NATO air defenses in Central Europe, with envisioned missions against facilities like Ramstein Air Base and the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. During exercises over ranges like the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, it demonstrated its capability to perform high-speed terminal dives that challenged the engagement capabilities of contemporary systems like the MIM-23 Hawk. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the weapon remained in the inventory of the Russian Aerospace Forces, with its strategic role continuing to be assessed in confrontations reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis. It has never been used in actual combat, but its presence influenced Western defense planning throughout the tenure of leaders like Ronald Reagan.

Variants

The primary production model was the basic Kh-15 (NATO reporting name AS-16A), equipped with a conventional or nuclear warhead for use against land targets. An improved variant, the Kh-15S, was developed for anti-ship roles, featuring a modified seeker head to engage naval vessels such as those belonging to the United States Navy. There was also a reported test version used for high-speed aerodynamic research at facilities like the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast. Proposals for a longer-range successor, which eventually influenced projects like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, were explored but not realized before the end of the Cold War.

Specifications

The missile has a launch weight of approximately 1,200 kilograms and a length of 4.78 meters. It is powered by a single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor, enabling a maximum speed of over Mach 5.0 and an effective range estimated between 150 to 300 kilometers, depending on the launch altitude from platforms like the Tupolev Tu-95. Guidance is provided by a pre-programmed inertial navigation system, with no terminal homing capability. The airframe is constructed with a cylindrical body, small cruciform wings, and control fins, designed for stability during its high-velocity ballistic arc. The warhead section could accommodate either a 150-kiloton nuclear yield or a 250-kilogram high-explosive fragmentation payload.

Operators

The sole operator of the missile is the Russian Federation, with the weapons integrated into the long-range aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces. They are carried exclusively by strategic bombers, including the Tupolev Tu-22M3 and the Tupolev Tu-160, based at airfields like Engels-2 air base. The earlier operator was the Soviet Union, where it served with the Soviet Air Forces until the state's dissolution in 1991. No exports of the system were made to other states such as China or India, as it was considered a strategically sensitive weapon system during and after the Cold War.

Category:Soviet air-to-surface missiles Category:Cold War missiles of the Soviet Union