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Kh-80
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The Kh-80 Meteorit-A (GRAU-code: 3M25A, NATO: AS-X-19 Koala), the RK-75 Meteorit-N (GRAU: 3M25N, NATO: SS-NX-24 Scorpion) and the P-750 Meteorit-M (Russian: П-750 Гром, GRAU: 3М25, NATO: SSC-X-5) was a Soviet cruise missile which was supposed to replace subsonic intermediate range missiles in Soviet inventory.

Key Information

Development of three variants of this cruise missile was authorized on 9 December 1976.[1] The Meteorit-M strategic version would be deployed from Project 667M submarines with 12 launchers per boat. The air-launched Meteorit-A would be launched from Tu-95 bombers. The land-based version was designated Meteorit-N. The missile was also sometimes referred to by the code-name Grom. The first test launch, on 20 May 1980, was unsuccessful, as were the next three attempts. The first successful flight did not come until 16 December 1981. The first launch from a 667M Andromeda submarine took place on 26 December 1983 from the Barents Sea.

The missile was designed by Chelomei at NPO Mashinostroeniye and designated the SSC-X-5 GLCM by the US Department of Defense. The turbojet-powered missile would cruise at Mach 2.5 to Mach 3.0 at 20 km (max 24) altitude over its 3,000 km range. It was equipped with a 1 Mt thermonuclear warhead and used inertial navigation with mid-course update via data link.

Manufacturer: Chelomei. Maximum range: 3,000 km (1,900 mi) to[1] 5,000 km.[2]

Variants

[edit]
  • Meteorit-A Kh-80 Meteorit-A, 3M25A AS-X-19 Koala Basing airborne
  • Meteorit-M P-750 Grom 3M25 and 3M25 П-750 Гром SS-NX-24 Scorpion Basing in submarines
  • Meteorit-N RK-75 Meteorit-N SSC-X-5 Scorpion 3M25N Basing ground

References

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Kh-80

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The Kh-80 was a Soviet supersonic developed during the as part of the 3M25 Meteorit program for strategic nuclear strikes. Intended primarily as an air-launched from platforms such as the Tu-95 bomber, it utilized turbojet propulsion to achieve sustained cruise speeds of Mach 2.5 to 3.0 at altitudes between 20 and 24 kilometers. The missile featured a range of approximately 3,000 kilometers and carried a 1 megaton thermonuclear , positioning it as a potential successor to earlier systems like the Kh-55. Variants were explored for and ground launches under designations like P-750 Grom or SS-N-24 Scorpion, but the project advanced only to limited prototype testing, including air launches in 1980 and trials in 1983. Technical complexities, including propulsion reliability at hypersonic-adjacent speeds and guidance challenges, contributed to its failure to enter production, with the program's cancellation accelerated by the Soviet Union's collapse. Despite these setbacks, the Kh-80 represented an ambitious effort to create a high-altitude, high-speed standoff weapon evading contemporary air defenses through kinetic performance rather than stealth.

Development

Origins and Initial Authorization

The development of the Kh-80, designated as the air-launched variant of the 3M25 Meteorit supersonic family, stemmed from a issued by the of the USSR on December 9, 1976, which authorized the initiation of work on advanced strategic capable of intermediate-range strikes. This resolution tasked design bureaus with creating a versatile supersonic system to succeed earlier subsonic missiles, emphasizing high-speed flight profiles exceeding Mach 3 and extended ranges to counter evolving defenses during the [Cold War](/page/Cold War). The program, led by OKB-52 under Viktor Chelomey (later ), envisioned three primary variants: the ground- or silo-based Meteorit-M (P-750), the submarine-launched Meteorit-N (RK-75), and the air-launched Meteorit-A (Kh-80), intended for deployment from Tu-95MS strategic bombers via underwing pylons. Initial authorization focused on integrating liquid-fueled boosters for rapid acceleration to cruise velocity, with the Kh-80 specifically adapting the core for aerial release to achieve operational flexibility over sea- and land-launched siblings. Funding and resource allocation under the decree prioritized hypersonic propulsion research, drawing from prior experimental programs like the Kholod hypersonic vehicle, though the Meteorit family retained scramjet-assisted sustainment for its Mach 4 dash capability. By , preliminary design reviews had confirmed the Kh-80's compatibility with Tu-95 bombers, marking the transition from conceptualization to fabrication at facilities under Raduga Machine-Building Design Bureau for components. The authorization reflected broader Soviet efforts to maintain strategic parity, but systemic challenges in for sustained supersonic flight would later impede full-scale production.

Design and Engineering Challenges

The Kh-80, as the air-launched variant of the 3M25 Meteorit supersonic , presented formidable engineering hurdles stemming from its ambitious specifications: a Mach 2.5–3.0 cruise speed at altitudes up to 24 km and a 5,000 km range. The design incorporated a complex system combining solid-fuel boosters for initial acceleration, a for subsonic phases, and ramjet augmentation for sustained supersonic flight, which proved difficult to integrate reliably. Aerodynamic challenges arose from the missile's cropped delta wings with folding mechanisms and canard foreplanes, intended to facilitate carriage under aircraft like the Tu-95 , but these features contributed to instability during boosts and transitions. Trial flights underscored these issues, with early air-launched tests in January and May 1984 ending in self-destruction due to control failures and aerodynamic distortions caused by booster exhaust interference. Across the Meteorit family, 37 launches were conducted, yet only one achieved the full design range, highlighting persistent problems in sustainment, structural integrity under high-speed thermal loads, and guidance accuracy over extreme distances. Guidance systems, relying on inertial augmented by terrain mapping and potentially plasma stealth for reduced detectability, suffered from integration flaws and vulnerability to electronic countermeasures, exacerbating self-defense equipment malfunctions. These technical deficiencies, compounded by the need for specialized launch platforms and high development costs, led to the cancellation of the air-launched Kh-80 variant in and the broader program by 1989, as reliability remained below operational thresholds despite iterative fixes. The program's failures were attributed to the inherent complexities of scaling supersonic cruise technology for strategic ranges without mature computational tools for simulation, a limitation evident in the Soviet era's trial-and-error approach.

Technical Design

Propulsion and Aerodynamics

The employed a KR-23 engine as its primary propulsion system, designed for sustained supersonic flight. This engine supported operations from Mach 0.4 to Mach 3 across altitudes ranging from to 24 km, facilitating cruise speeds of Mach 2.5 to 3.0 at approximately 20 km altitude. As an air-launched variant, it dispensed with the liquid-fueled boosters used in ground- or sea-based Meteorit configurations, leveraging the carrier aircraft—such as the Tu-95 bomber—for initial velocity. Although a engine of 780 mm diameter was proposed by NPVO Plamya as an alternative sustainer, the operational design retained the for reliability in variable flight regimes. The enabled a range exceeding 3,000 km while maintaining high-altitude flight to evade defenses. Aerodynamically, the Kh-80 adopted a layout with cropped delta wings folding at three points for carriage, paired with canard foreplanes for pitch control, a single vertical tailfin, and twin horizontal tailplanes. The fuselage-mounted air intake beneath the body optimized airflow to the during supersonic cruise, contributing to stability at Mach 3 and altitudes up to 24 km. This configuration supported efficient lift and reduced drag for long-range missions, drawing from aerodynamic studies aimed at strategic penetration.

Guidance and Control Systems

The Kh-80 employed an inertial navigation system (INS) as its primary guidance mechanism, supplemented by terrain contour matching (TERCOM) to refine trajectory accuracy during the mid-course phase by comparing radar altimeter data against pre-loaded terrain maps. This combination enabled the missile to maintain a low-altitude flight profile at speeds exceeding Mach 3 while navigating over intercontinental distances. Mid-course updates were potentially supported by datalink from the launch platform or external assets, though operational details remain limited due to the program's classification and cancellation. Flight control systems utilized aerodynamic surfaces for stability and maneuvering, including folding cropped delta wings for storage and deployment, forward canard foreplanes for pitch and yaw authority, a vertical tailfin for directional control, and twin horizontal tailplanes for additional stability. These surfaces, actuated likely via hydraulic mechanisms typical of Soviet-era supersonic designs, allowed for high-speed corrections and evasion maneuvers, including the deployment of a towed to counter air defenses. The missile's terminal phase involved a steep dive onto the target, relying on the cumulative accuracy of INS and without confirmed active radar seeker integration in declassified descriptions. Warhead delivery incorporated provisions for multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles or submunitions, each equipped with individual guidance to strike separated targets up to 100 km apart, enhancing penetration against dispersed strategic assets. Testing in the demonstrated the feasibility of these systems over extended routes exceeding 3,000 km, though persistent accuracy challenges contributed to the program's eventual termination amid post-Cold War budget constraints.

Payload and Warhead Options

The , developed under the broader Meteorit program, was primarily designed to deliver nuclear payloads for strategic deterrence and long-range strikes against high-value targets such as command centers, airfields, and naval bases. The baseline warhead configuration featured two independently targetable 90-kiloton nuclear warheads, with a separation capability allowing strikes on targets up to 100 kilometers apart to enhance coverage against dispersed or hardened facilities. This dual-warhead approach reflected Soviet emphasis on maximizing destructive radius within the missile's 3,000 km range envelope, drawing from liquid-fueled nuclear designs tested in the . The aggregate warhead mass totaled approximately 1,000 kg, integrated into the missile's forward section for aerodynamic stability during Mach 3 cruise. Alternative payload concepts, as reported in some technical assessments, included a single high-yield thermonuclear rated at 1 megaton, potentially for scenarios prioritizing concentrated blast effects over dispersed targeting. This option would leverage the missile's inertial guidance with data-link updates to ensure precision delivery, though implementation details remain unverified beyond design proposals from the late era. No declassified evidence supports conventional high-explosive or submunition , consistent with the program's focus on nuclear escalation dominance rather than tactical suppression. Across proposed variants like the air-launched Meteorit-A, integration prioritized compatibility with Tu-95MS bombers, maintaining the nuclear-centric architecture without platform-specific modifications.

Testing and Evaluation

Flight Tests and Milestones

Flight testing of the Kh-80, developed under the broader Meteorit program and sometimes designated Grom, initiated in May 1980 with ground-based launches from the BL-10 test rig. The inaugural attempt failed as the did not exit its container properly, a fate shared by the subsequent three trials, highlighting early and launch mechanism challenges. A partial success followed in December 1980, with the achieving roughly 30 miles of flight, significantly below the targeted 5,000 km range. The first confirmed successful flight occurred on 16 December 1981, marking a key milestone after over a year of predominantly failed efforts. By 1984, more than twenty launches had been conducted, primarily air-dropped from platforms such as the Tu-95 bomber, though success rates remained low. Air-launched variant tests, under the Meteorit-A designation, began in January 1984 but encountered immediate setbacks, including a after 61 seconds and another failure in May. Sea-launched development advanced with the first submarine trial on 26 December 1983 in the , addressing unique underwater ejection and guidance hurdles. Over 30 test stand firings preceded this for the Meteorit-M variant. Official joint submarine tests in 1988 yielded approximately 50% success, yet persistent issues with speed sustainability and reliability plagued the program. Across all configurations, 37 launches were recorded, with only one attaining the full design range, underscoring the technical difficulties in achieving sustained Mach 3+ cruise at high altitudes. These tests, spanning ground, air, and sea platforms, represented critical milestones in validating the missile's hypersonic potential, though frequent failures delayed operational viability.

Performance Assessments

The 3M25 Meteorit (Kh-80 for the air-launched variant) underwent extensive from 1980 to 1989, but assessments revealed significant shortfalls in achieving its designed parameters of Mach 2.5–3.0 cruise speed, 3,000–5,500 km range, and 20–24 km altitude. Out of approximately 37 test launches across variants, only one reportedly attained the full intended range of 5,000 km, with most early attempts failing to complete basic flight profiles due to instability, guidance malfunctions, and launch mechanism issues. Initial air-launched tests of the Kh-80/Meteorit-A from a Tu-95 on 11 January 1984 and subsequent attempts in May 1984 resulted in self-destruction after short flights (e.g., 61 seconds in the first case), highlighting unreliable engine sustainment at supersonic speeds and inadequate inertial navigation over extended distances. Submarine-launched Meteorit-M trials, starting with a partial success on 26 December 1983 from a Project 667A boat, achieved roughly 50% success in 1988 joint tests but suffered from underwater ejection failures and plasma sheath interference with guidance during high-speed cruise. Ground-based tests from 1980 onward similarly underperformed, with the inaugural launch on 20 May 1980 failing as the could not exit its container, and subsequent flights rarely exceeding 50 km without anomalies. Reliability assessments pegged the overall success rate below 10% for full-profile missions, attributed to the missile's complex liquid-fueled / hybrid propulsion struggling to maintain Mach 3 without overheating or fuel inefficiency, and electronic countermeasures proving ineffective against simulated defenses. Former program engineers noted that while bench tests validated individual components like the twin 90-kiloton nuclear warheads, integrated flight performance lagged due to unresolvable and control instabilities at altitude. These outcomes rendered the system operationally unviable, contributing to its cancellation in 1989 amid budget constraints and the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) limitations on nuclear delivery vehicles.

Variants

Air-Launched Variant (Meteorit-A)

The air-launched variant of the Meteorit cruise missile, designated 3M25A Meteorit-A or Kh-80, was developed for deployment from Soviet strategic bombers, primarily the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear, using an inboard pylon for release. This configuration allowed the missile to leverage the aircraft's altitude and speed for initial boost, enabling a supersonic cruise profile at over Mach 3 and altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet. The variant measured 12.8 meters in length with a launch weight of 6,300 kg, incorporating cropped delta wings that folded during storage and deployed post-launch. Development of the Meteorit-A proceeded alongside sea- and ground-launched counterparts, with authorization for the family granted on December 9, 1976, under the oversight of (formerly OKB-52). The air-launched version underwent its first on May 20, 1980, from a Tu-95 platform, marking an early milestone in the program's evaluation of aerial deployment dynamics. By 1984, over twenty test firings had been conducted across variants, though specific air-launch success rates remained constrained by propulsion and guidance integration issues inherent to the ramjet engine and plasma stealth features. Intended for strategic land-attack roles, the Meteorit-A was optimized for extended range—potentially thousands of kilometers—while employing active radar jamming and towed decoys for penetration of air defenses. A subsequent air-launch attempt in January 1984 ended in failure after 61 seconds, triggering self-destruction due to unresolved flight stability problems. Despite these setbacks, the variant demonstrated potential for nuclear payload delivery in a high-speed, low-observable profile, though the program's termination in the early 1990s curtailed full operationalization amid technical complexities and post-Cold War budget constraints.

Sea-Launched Variant (Meteorit-M)

The Meteorit-M, designated P-750, represented the sea-launched variant of the Soviet 3M-25 Meteorit supersonic strategic family, optimized for underwater launch from nuclear submarines. Development of the overall Meteorit program, including the Meteorit-M, was authorized by a USSR decree on December 9, 1976, aiming to create a Mach 3-capable weapon with a range exceeding 5,000 kilometers to supplant subsonic intermediate-range systems. The naval version featured a specialized upper stage equipped with two liquid-propellant RD-0242 engines incorporating rotary nozzles to facilitate submerged ejection and initial boost. Intended for deployment aboard Project 667M (Yankee Notch) submarines, each vessel was planned to accommodate 12 Meteorit-M launchers, enabling strikes against high-value strategic targets from extended standoff distances. The missile's design incorporated cropped delta wings that folded during storage and a plasma-based electronic warfare system for jamming, alongside a towed on a 100-meter cable to counter defenses. Launch procedures involved underwater expulsion via gas generators, followed by solid-fuel booster ignition for surface breach and sustained supersonic cruise powered by engines. The first recorded test launch of a Meteorit-M occurred on December 26, 1983, from the K-420 in the , marking an early milestone in validating the launch mechanism despite the program's inherent technical complexities. Subsequent trials revealed persistent challenges, including unreliable integration and guidance accuracy at hypersonic speeds, compounded by the era's material limitations for sustained Mach 3 flight. Assigned the Western reporting name SS-NX-24 , the variant underscored Soviet ambitions for versatile, high-speed naval strike capabilities but ultimately contributed to the broader Meteorit effort's curtailment in the early amid economic constraints and unresolved engineering hurdles.

Ground-Launched Concepts

The ground-launched of the 3M25 Meteorit family, designated Meteorit-N, was proposed as a mobile or silo-deployed system to enable terrestrial strikes against strategic targets at ranges of 3,000 to 5,500 km. Developed under the same late-1970s program as its air- and sea-launched siblings, it featured a shared approximately 12 meters long with a 1.46-meter , powered by a liquid-fueled engine for sustained Mach 2.5–3.0 cruise at altitudes of 20–24 km. The emphasized high-altitude flight to minimize drag and detectability, with a terminal dive capability for nuclear or conventional warheads, though specifics for the ground mirrored the family's estimated 500 kt yield options. Conceived in response to U.S. advancements in ballistic missiles and subsonic cruise weapons like the BGM-109 , the Meteorit-N aimed to provide the Soviet with a standoff supersonic alternative immune to many contemporary defenses. Launch concepts included transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicles for mobility, drawing from existing systems like those for the SS-20 Saber IRBM, to facilitate rapid deployment and survivability against preemptive strikes. However, the variant progressed primarily as a conceptual extension of the core Meteorit technology, with limited dedicated prototyping due to resource allocation toward air-launched (Meteorit-A) and submarine-launched (Meteorit-M) priorities. Testing for the ground-launched configuration remained embryonic, with no confirmed full-range flight trials isolated to Meteorit-N; instead, the program leveraged over 20 launches by from air and sub platforms to validate aerodynamics, propulsion, and inertial/terrain-matching guidance systems. Persistent challenges, including ignition reliability at low speeds post-booster separation and precision in long-range navigation, hampered overall feasibility, as evidenced by inconsistent test outcomes reported in declassified assessments. The Meteorit-N concept was abandoned in the late 1980s amid technical shortfalls and the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which prohibited ground-launched cruise missiles exceeding 500 km range, rendering the system's intercontinental ambitions non-viable under constraints. This termination aligned with broader Soviet program cuts, though residual technologies influenced later hypersonic efforts like the Kh-90.

Cancellation and Legacy

Reasons for Program Termination

The Kh-80 (Meteorit-A) program encountered severe challenges during its phase, culminating in its cancellation by the end of 1984. Extensive trials revealed fundamental reliability issues, with over 20 launches conducted by that year yielding only a single success in attaining the targeted 5,500 km range, underscoring persistent and guidance failures that prevented consistent hypersonic . A notable test in May 1984 exemplified these shortcomings, as the missile failed to achieve sustained Mach 3+ speeds or full trajectory stability, mirroring earlier anomalies in engine sustainment and aerodynamic control. These outcomes highlighted the program's inability to mature beyond prototype validation, despite initial ambitions to supplant subsonic systems like the with a supersonic intermediate-range capability. Soviet engineers attributed the shortfalls to immature integration and material stresses under prolonged high-speed flight, rendering further investment untenable amid resource constraints on advanced . Broader strategic reevaluations also factored into the decision, as the Soviet military shifted focus toward more feasible subsonic refinements and emerging ballistic alternatives, deeming the Meteorit-A's high-risk profile unjustifiable given its track record. While some residual research persisted into related concepts like the , the core air-launched variant was effectively shelved, marking a rare admission of technical overreach in Soviet development during the early .

Technological and Strategic Impact

The Kh-80, as the air-launched variant of the Soviet Meteorit family, represented an ambitious push toward supersonic strategic cruise missiles capable of Mach 2.5–3.0 speeds at altitudes up to 24 km, integrating sustainers with potential ramjet augmentation for sustained high-velocity flight over 3,000 km ranges. This design incorporated advanced inertial navigation augmented by terrain contour matching () for precision guidance, alongside electronic warfare suites featuring active radar jamming and towed decoy systems trailing 100-meter cables to generate false targets, aiming to penetrate dense air defenses. Despite these innovations, the program's 37 flight tests revealed persistent reliability issues, with only one missile achieving its full design range, underscoring the engineering challenges of scaling efficiency and thermal management for prolonged supersonic cruise, which ultimately highlighted the practical limits of such propulsion without mature scramjet alternatives. The resulting data on high-altitude and plasma sheath effects from speed-induced ionization contributed foundational insights that informed subsequent Russian missile engineering, though direct lineage to operational systems like the Kh-55 remains indirect due to the shift toward proven subsonic designs. Strategically, the Kh-80 was envisioned to equip Tu-95 bombers for standoff nuclear strikes with 1 Mt warheads, enabling deep penetration of defenses through speed and altitude advantages that outpaced contemporary interceptors and radars of the late era. Its development, initiated under a 1976 USSR decree for a universal 5,500 km-range supersonic , reflected Soviet doctrine prioritizing versatile, high-speed platforms to counter U.S. carrier groups and strategic assets, potentially doubling the effective reach of subsonic predecessors like the Kh-55. However, chronic test failures and escalating costs amid led to cancellation by 1984, with residual work tapering into the early 1990s, exposing vulnerabilities in Soviet resource allocation for unproven "superweapons" over incremental improvements. This outcome reinforced a post- pivot to reliable, mass-producible munitions, influencing Russian strategic restraint in hypersonic pursuits until the 2010s, where echoes of Meteorit-era concepts appeared in revived discussions for extended-range integration. The program's legacy thus cautions against overreliance on velocity for deterrence, emphasizing guidance robustness and producibility in modern architectures.
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