'High Reliability': Putin Praises Performance of Kh-101 Cruise Missiles in Syria

Sputnik News

15:17 06.07.2017(updated 15:47 06.07.2017)

Russia's advanced Kh-101 cruise missiles, used in Syria, showed a high degree of reliability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik) – Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday a group of Russian Tu-95MS (Bear-F) strategic bombers delivered earlier in the day an airstrike against Daesh terrorist organization (banned in Russia) targets in Syria using Kh-101 missiles.

"Regarding the use of our weapons, including in the fight against terrorists in the Syrian Arab Republic, I would like to thank both the military and the designers of one of our state-of-the-art Kh-101 missile systems. This missile showed a very high degree of reliability," Putin said at a meeting of the commission for military-technical cooperation (MTC).

He praised Russian weapons used against terrorists in Syria.

"I will note that Russian weapons demonstrate reliability and great capabilities during the anti-terrorist operation in Syria," Putin said.

He added that when exporting armaments, Russia is taking into account the international situation to prevent intensification of any conflicts.

The Kh-101 (in Russian: X-101) is a strategic, air-launched Russian cruise missile, manufactured using modern technology to reduce radar visibility. It can destroy a target up to 4,500 kilometers away. This type of missiles could be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The Kh-101 uses GLONASS, the Russian satellite navigation system, for trajectory correction and is reported to have an accuracy of five to six meters.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is capable of carrying a maximum of eight of these missiles.

Previously, the Russian aviation launched Kh-101 missile strikes on Daesh targets in February 2017, destroying several terrorist camps, training centers and a command post of one of the major terrorists' units near Raqqa.

The Kh-101, in service since 2013, was first tested in the 1990s. The missile is one of the newest and most technologically sophisticated weapons which made their debut in Syria. It was first used in combat on November 17, 2015 as part of Russia's limited aerial campaign aimed at helping Damascus destroy radical groups trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

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