Missile Kh-32 (AS-4 Kitchen)

The Kh-32 originated from a Soviet program initiated in the late 1980s to modernize the Kh-22 and address electronic countermeasure vulnerabilities. After several delays due to funding constraints in the 1990s, development resumed in 2008. Following flight tests in 2013, the system was officially accepted into service in 2016.

The missile utilizes the same airframe as its predecessor but incorporates a more powerful engine and a revised guidance suite. It employs inertial guidance followed by terminal active radar homing. The guidance system is designed to maintain functionality while encountering radar jamming. To increase performance, the warhead weight was reduced from previous iterations. The missile is designed for high-altitude flight in the stratosphere and operates at supersonic speeds.

Russia is the operator of the Kh-32, which is deployed on modernized Tu-22M3M bombers. The Russian military has undertaken a program to modernize existing airframes to support the system. In April 2024, during the conflict in Ukraine, two missiles were reportedly intercepted. Analysis of the wreckage indicated that the missiles remain in active production, with one unit identified as having been manufactured in 2023.