AS-26 - Kh-BD (Bolshoi Dalnosti, ru ='long-range')
On February 23, 2017, the scientific director of GosNIIAS, Evgeny Fedorov, said that a prospective long-range cruise missile was included in the project of the modernized Tu-160M2 aircraft. At that time, work was underway to formulate requirements and determine the appearance of a new rocket. “Now the so-called X-BD long-range missile is being put into the project of the modernized Tu-160M. Its range is classified. It is known that its predecessor, the Kh-101 rocket with a conventional charge, has a range of 3,000 km. The range of the new missile will be much greater,” Fedosov said.
According to him, "today a concept has emerged: not to introduce long-range aircraft into the enemy's air defense zone." Fedosov said “It has to work outside this zone, and the weapon enters the zone. If such an aircraft carries a lot of weapons, then the principle of information degradation of the enemy's air defense begins to work again. Without entering the enemy's air defense zone, but by launching a missile there, we dictate the direction of the strike, moment and density. And if you reconnoitre the enemy's air defense well, then we will always find a bottleneck and throw a grouping into that throat. If we are talking about a strategic nuclear strike, then at least one missile will always pass. And that will be enough”.
The X-101, judging by open sources, was the missile that became the basis for the future X-BD due to its advancedness. The main thing that distinguishes the X-101 from all its counterparts is the record range of 5500 kilometers., which is head and shoulders above all available rivals. The closest American analogue, AGM-86, can fly 2,780 kilometers, and then in a modified version. It is also worth remembering the AGM-129 ACM, which had much more impressive characteristics, was newer and was made using the "Stealth" technology.
The most important thing in the rocket is that it will remain in the dimensions of the X-101 and will have the main features of its progenitor. And this is, first of all, the built-in electronic warfare system, capable of diverting enemy anti-aircraft missiles from the KRBD or interfering with the radar, which will significantly complicate the work of the air defense missile systems operators. Although with such a range, a missile can safely bypass areas closed by air defense / missile defense systems and hit a given target with impunity.
The first flight of the modernized Tu-160M came in 2020. According to the information of the developer of the cruise missile, this particular aircraft will become the first carrier of the X-BD. It will also be used to test this rocket. However, this is only the beginning and in the future absolutely all long-range aircraft, perhaps, except for the Tu-22M3, will receive this most powerful missile. But not only aircraft can count on a novelty - it is known that Project 885 submarines of the Yasen and Yasen-M types can also use the X-101, and hence the X-BD in the future. Moreover, they can even use this missile in an anti-ship version - a unique seeker allows you to target moving targets, including ships of any displacement. Although no one, probably, will shoot such a "colossus" at corvettes in the near sea zone.
The X-BD will be made using Stealth technology, which will further reduce the chances of its detection. But that's not all - at the moment, work is underway to create a land version of the X-101, and therefore the X-BD. This is done due to the fact that the Americans destroyed the treaty on intermediate and shorter-range missiles, which limited both countries in the creation of such missiles. They are expected to be part of the Iskander-M complexand will be able to hit targets anywhere in Europe. The Americans, on the other hand, cannot boast of this so far - from the entire arsenal they have only the Tomahawk, which is endlessly modernized without acquiring any special, exceptional parameters.
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