Russia: New Ballistic Missile Has 3,000 km Range if Fired from Supersonic Bomber

By Dave Majumdar,The National Interest

Russia is claiming that the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aero-ballistic missile will have a range of 3,000 km aboard the Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire supersonic bomber. Moscow also claims that the weapon has a range of 2,000km when launched from the Mach 2.83-capable Mikoyan MiG-31K Foxhound interceptor, onboard which it was initially fielded.

“The Kinzhal is an air-launched missile system and, therefore, it is necessary to look at its range considering the combat radius of its carrier. For the Tu-22M3, aboard which the missile will soon be tested, the hypersonic missile’s target destruction range will equal over 3,000 km [the carrier’s combat radius plus the missile’s range],” a Russian defense industry source told the TASS news agency.

Given the Russian defense industry source’s statements, it can be assumed then, that Kinzhal missile’s range is significantly shorter than 2,000km since that figure includes the MiG-31’s combat radius.

Indeed, U.S. intelligence reports have noted that the weapon—which Washington believes will become fully operational in 2020—was recently tested against at target at a range of 500 miles or 805km, as Amanda Macias at CNBC reports.

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