Missile Kh-38

The Kh-38 is a family of standoff air-to-surface missiles designed to succeed the Kh-25 and Kh-29 missile families. The basic configuration of the Kh-38M was first displayed in 2007. Initial prototypes featured folding wings and tail fins to allow for internal carriage. The first test firing occurred in 2010 from a Sukhoi Su-34, and production was ordered to begin in 2015. A revised version introduced in 2017 replaced the folding control surfaces with longer, narrower fixed ones.

The missile utilizes a modular design, allowing for different warhead and guidance configurations. Available warheads include fragmentation, cluster munitions, and penetrating types. The system is produced in several guidance variants: the Kh-38MA utilizes inertial and active radar homing; the Kh-38MK uses inertial and satellite guidance; the Kh-38ML employs inertial and semi-active laser guidance; and the Kh-38MT uses inertial and imaging infrared guidance. The Kh-38 also serves as the basis for the Kh-36 family of modular glide munitions, which includes the Kh-36 Grom-E1 rocket-assisted hybrid glide bomb and the Kh-36 Grom-E2 guided glide bomb.

The missile is operated by Russia and is deployed on combat aircraft including the Sukhoi Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-57, with integration planned for the Kamov Ka-52K helicopter. The Kh-36 variants are intended to equip fighter aircraft, including the MiG-35 and Su-57. In terms of operational history, the Kh-38M was first used in combat during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war, and was later deployed during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.