Footage of a pilot of a multi-purpose American F-16AM fighter attempting to intercept a Russian low-observable strategic Kh-101 missile with a highly maneuverable air-to-air AIM-9X Block II or AIM-120B munition has gone viral on the Web.
Whether a second attempt to intercept the Kh-101 followed is not exactly known.
Military analyst Evgeny Damantsev suggested that the outdated AN/APG-66(V)2 onboard radar either lost the Kh-101 with an RCS of 0.04 - 0.05 m² against the background of reflections of electromagnetic waves from the earth's surface due to the Kh-101 exiting the scanning sector of the APG-66(V)2. The missile could also have left the zone of visual visibility for the F-16AM pilot.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Kh-101 missile:
- Maximum range — 5.5 thousand km
- Maximum speed - 250-270 m/s
- Starting weight — 2240 - 2400 kg
- Length - 7.45 m
- Possibility of changing the target in flight
Earlier www1.ru reported that the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov will be armed with four Pantsir-M SAMs, Zircons and Kalibrs after leaving repairs.
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