Footage has gone viral online showing a pilot of a multi-role American F-16AM fighter attempting to intercept a Russian stealth strategic Kh-101 missile with a highly maneuverable air-to-air missile of the AIM-9X Block II or AIM-120B class.
Whether a second attempt to intercept the Kh-101 followed is unknown.
Military analyst Evgeny Damantsev suggested that the outdated AN/APG-66(V)2 airborne radar either lost the Kh-101 with an RCS of 0.04 - 0.05 m² against the background of electromagnetic wave reflections from the earth's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 moved out of visual range 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
- Launch weight — 2240 - 2400 kg
- Length - 7.45 m
- Ability to change target in flight
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" will be armed with four Pantsir-M SAM systems, "Tsirkons" and "Calibers" after leaving the repair.
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