RUSSIAN AIR-TO-surface missile bureau Raduga has admitted that it is working on the application of stealth to advanced missile design.
The bureau is holding discussions with an unidentified Chinese partner over making certain of these technologies available to Beijing.
Valentin Troitsky, deputy head of the bureau, confirms that the design bureau was looking at the application of low observable technologies to missiles, adding that its was "negotiating with China" in this area.
He declines to give details of any projects, or to identify the potential Chinese partner. The status of the research into stealth-missile technology, and of the Chinese negotiations, remains unclear.
The design bureau also reveals that it has test-flown a large ramjet-powered testbed to explore hypersonic propulsion for stand-off missiles.
The vehicle, the GELA, or hypersonic experimental-flight testbed, has been recently flown according to the design bureau. The launch platform for the tests is understood to have been a Tupolev Tu-95.
The vehicle has a single ram intake mounted under the angled section of the nose. This terminates in a flat blade, rather than in a conical section.
The vehicle's wings and tail surfaces can be folded for carriage purposes.
Development of the hypersonic propulsion technologies was funded by the aviation ministry. Troitsky declines to discuss the exact applications for which Raduga might use such a propulsion system.
Raduga is offering the Kh-58 (AS-11 Kilter) anti-radiation missile for export to equip Western-manufactured combat aircraft.
The export variant, the Kh-58E, can be used on the Dassault Mirage III E, Lockheed Martin F-16, and McDonnell Douglas F-15E, according to the company. Raduga literature shows the F-16 and F-15E carrying two Kh-58Es along with the target-acquisition pod, while the Mirage III E carries one Kh-58E along with the associated pod on fuselage pylons.
Source: Flight International
