Missile Kh-101 (AS-23 Kodiak)

Developed in the late 1980s as a stealth-oriented successor to the Kh-55 cruise missile, this weapon system was conceived to provide both conventional and nuclear standoff capabilities. The program gained importance in the 1990s as a "force multiplier" and saw a renewed emphasis on achieving high accuracy for conventional strikes after other missile programs were canceled due to treaty limitations. The missile underwent its first flight in 1998 and evaluation trials began in 2000, with the weapon officially accepted for service in 2012.

The Kh-101/102 is a subsonic, air-launched cruise missile designed with stealth characteristics, including an aerodynamically shaped fuselage that generates lift. It flies at very low altitudes to follow terrain and evade radar detection. Its guidance system combines inertial navigation, satellite updates, and a Doppler radar with a terrain map to strike fixed targets with a high degree of accuracy. The missile is also reportedly equipped with a terminal guidance system to engage moving targets. The system exists in two main variants: the Kh-101, which carries a conventional high-explosive, penetrating, or cluster warhead, and the Kh-102, which is armed with a thermonuclear warhead. To improve survivability, later versions have been fitted with an onboard electronic warfare defense system and decoy flares. The missile is deployed from Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers.

The missile system is operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces and saw its first combat use in 2015 during the Syrian Civil War, where it was launched from Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers against militant targets. The weapon has been used extensively during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, striking targets such as airfields and hydraulic structures. During this conflict, analysis of downed missiles has revealed modifications, including the addition of decoy flares and, in some cases, a second warhead that increases payload at the expense of range. While there have been reports regarding its reliability in combat, the conventional Kh-101 remains a key asset for long-range precision strikes. The nuclear-armed Kh-102 variant has not been used in any conflict.