Missile Kh-80 Meteorit-A (AS-X-19 Koala)

Development of the Meteorit family, designated 3M25 and built in three variants, was authorized in December 1976. The system was intended to replace subsonic intermediate-range missiles in the Soviet inventory. Flight testing began in May 1980, with the first successful flight occurring in December 1981 following three failed attempts. A submarine-launched test from a Project 667M vessel was conducted in the Barents Sea in December 1983.

The Kh-80 is a supersonic cruise missile utilizing liquid-fuel propulsion and solid-fuel boosters. It is designed for high-altitude flight at speeds between Mach 2.5 and Mach 3.0. The guidance suite consists of an inertial navigation system, TERCOM, and active radar homing, supported by a mid-course datalink for trajectory updates. Available warheads include high explosive, fuel-air explosive, and thermobaric types. For nuclear applications, the missile can carry warheads with yields ranging from 200 kilotons to under 6 megatons, including a 1-megaton thermonuclear variant.

The system was developed for air, sea, and land platforms. The air-launched Meteorit-A (AS-X-19 Koala) was assigned to Tu-95 bombers. The naval Meteorit-M, also known as the P-750 Grom (SS-N-24 Scorpion), was intended for Project 667M submarines. The Meteorit-N (SSC-X-5) was the land-based variant for ground-based operations. Work on the air-launched variant stopped in 1984, and the remaining variants were cancelled by 1989.