Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

How many air-launched Kh-101 missiles Russia is able to produce: analysis

Russian missiles Kh-101
Kh-101 mounted on pylons. Photo: Russian MoD

Serial numbers and other data obtained from 16 downed Russian air-launched Kh-101 missiles provide insight into Russian production rates, according to the analysis by FDD’s Long War Journal published last December, which suggests that the production rates of the Kh-101s might be higher than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Kh-101 is a Russian stealthy air-launched cruise missile carried by strategic bombers Tu-160 and Tu-95MS. The missile entered service in 2013, and saw its first combat use in Syria in 2015. In 2022-2023, Russia has been using the Kh-101s extensively in Ukraine.

russian kh101 cruise missile
Kh-101 ALCM/ Source: Twitter, @ChuckPfarrer, 4 September 2022

Many Russian weapons, including the Kh-101, remain chock full of Western-made components, Various experts and western officials claimed that sanctions have hobbled Russia’s ability to produce precision-guided munitions. However, Russia continues to conduct periodic missile strikes primarily targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including with modern cruise missiles such as the Kh-101.

“The data suggests that although Russia is likely running low on missiles and expending them at an unsustainable rate, production of Kh-101s and perhaps other missiles not only continues but is probably greater than some analysts believed. What is more, Russia may now be producing more Kh-101s per day than it was before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These findings underscore that while Western export controls pose significant challenges for Russia’s defense industrial base, it is too early for the West to take a victory lap,” the Long War Journal says.

russian kh101 cruise missile euromaidan press infographics
Western components in Kh-101 cruise missile/ Source: EP original infographics by Alya Shandra

In late November 2022, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov reported that Russia manufactured 120 X-101 missiles after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. In early December, the representative of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence Vadym Skibitskyi said that Russia has already produced 240 X-101s.

Meanwhile, based on the structure of serial numbers of the downed Kh-101s, the Long War Journal assumes that Russia might have manufactured at least 402 Kh-101s during the timeframe between 1 April 2018 and 23 November 2022 with a production rate of 0.24 missiles per day.

“Western export controls have already undermined Russia’s defense industrial base and will likely pose even greater challenges for Moscow in the future. But the new measures will need time and strict, multilateral enforcement to achieve their full potential,” the Long War Journal concludes.

 

Read also:

Russians used Kh-101 cruise missiles produced in the last quarter of 2022 to attack Ukraine’s power grid on 29 November

US parts found in Russian Kh-101 precision missile used to shell Ukrainian cities

Russia starts using Kh-101 missiles produced in Q2 of 2022 – Defense Express

 

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts