Raduga Kh-59 (AS-13 Kingbolt) and
Kh-59M (AS-18 Kazoo)

The Kh-59 missile (Article D9) was for the first time publicly displayed in November 1991, in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). This missile is guided by television and propelled by a powder-fuel engine, with a powder- fuel accelerator in the tail. Its folding stabilizers are located at the front, while its cantilever wings with rudders are located in the rear.

The Kh-59M missile differs from the original model by having a twice as large warhead and by another propulsion system. Under the missile body has been suspended a small turbojet engine, the RDK-300 designed by the "Soyuz" [Union] OKB. The missile is brought up to speed by a powder-fuel accelerator located in the tail section and then continues flying propelled by that turbojet engine. Equipped with such a propulsion system, the missile has a three times longer range than the Kh-59.

Because television guidance has the drawback that the target must be "seen" by the missile, which limits the missile's range of action, the Kh-59M has a dual guidance system. After having been fired, the missile is guided by an inertial navigation system into the vicinity of the target and then the television camera is turned on for transmission of images to the receiver on board the missile's carrier aircraft. The transmitter of flight-correcting radio commands (APK-8 for MiG-27K aircraft or APK-9 for Su-24M/30M and newer aircraft) is mounted in a container which hangs under the aircraft. The armament consisting of a Kh-59M missile with such guidance is called Owad [Insect]-M.

Air-Launched Cruise Missile X -59M of class "air-surface" for the front aviation. Control system of rocket - television- command. Engine is turbojet. Fuselage of cylindrical form with the ogive nose cone and the X-shaped wing arrangement. All aggregates of fuselage will be joined on the quick-disconnect fittings. Nose cook jettisoned, it is made from material AMG-'. Cargo hold - from the material VNS-2, wing skin from AMG-', longerons from VKL -3. The sections of fuselage have internal heat insulation from the material OF ATM9-200, stuck on the skin by glue VK -9. Container for the equipment for the flight control of rocket X -59M consists of four sections of cylindrical form.

Nose and tail cones have radio-transparent spinners and are riveted and made from material D -19. Frames are made from the material Of ei-'shchya, body from VKL -3 and Y2KH2NVFA, skin from D -19. From the new technological processes, mastered with the manufacture of this article, the technical process on the filling of fairing with foam plastic PU -10/t in the rigid mold with the established plaits and the joints deserves attention.

Missile "Gadfly-ME" with Kh-59ME is designed to destroy ground and surface targets, the operator visually apparent in normal weather conditions. The complex includes aircraft missile Kh-59ME and suspended container APK-9ME. Kh-59ME is equipped with a navigation system and automatic control, as well as television-command guidance system, which ensures the accuracy of hitting up to 2-3 meters (in manual mode). During the flight the rocket is possible to divert its operator to another target.

Missile "Gadfly-ME" with aircraft missiles X-59M2E designed to engage a wide range of fixed ground and sea targets with known coordinates of the location, visible to the operator in visually enhanced by vsesutochnosti conditions of use. Aircraft guided missile Kh-59M2E with translation-command-guided missile system "Gadfly-ME" provides in low visibility conditions, including at night, the defeat of the general Nomenclature fixed ground and sea targets with known coordinates of the location.

Special stealth versions of existing cruise missiles designed specifically for deployment from inner weapon bays of the 5G PAK-FA stealth fighter jet have appeared in October 2015 following the MAKS-2015 international air show. Developed by the Raduga (Rainbow) State Engineering Development Laboratory, an integral part of Russia’s Tactical Missile Munitions Corporation, these unusual-looking square section air-to-surface and antiradar cruise missiles are specifically designated for the PAK-FA 5G fighter jet and possibly for the future long-distance PAK-DA bomber.

The KH-59MK2 cruise missile and KH-58USHKA anti-radar missile are compact versions of existing missiles, redesigned and deeply modernized to satisfy the needs of next-generation stealth aircraft.

Aircraft guided missile Kh-59MK2 is a modification of the aviation Kh-59MK and is intended to engage a wide range of stationary ground targets with known coordinates of the location, including without radar, infrared and optical contrast relative to the surrounding background. Rocket implements the principle of "fire and forget" at the expense of autonomous recognition adjacent to the target area. Route low-altitude flight of the missile to the target set in Flight mission rocket. Kh-59MK2 can be applied at any time of year, when the illumination area 10-3 ÷ 105 lux over any type of terrain.

The KH-59MK2 measures 0.4 meters by 0.4 meters in section and is only 4.2 meters long. When mounted into an inside weapon bay of a PAK-FA, it will not interfere with an aircraft’s stealth capabilities. Yet this 770kg missile is also designed using stealth technology. It can be launched from any altitude from 200 meters to 11km, delivering its 310kg warhead to a target at a speed of up to 1,000kph. For large-area targets, the KH-59MK2 missile has a cluster-munitions dispenser type of warhead.

With a miss distance of a mere 3 meters, the missile promises to hit the bull’s eye. The range of the export version, allegedly being presented for the Indian version of PAK-FA, the FGFA aircraft, is limited to 290km, while the range of the home version remains a secret and could be much longer.

The new missiles can also be mounted on all new types of Russian tactical aircraft, such as the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet, the Su-34 bomber, the Su-35 super-maneuverable multirole fighter and the Mikoyan MiG-29K carrier-based multirole fighter.