Ukraine Unravels Secrets of Russia's Ch‑101 Missile, Observes Tech Echoing US Designs

Rocket attacks have provided Ukrainians with ample materials for analyzing the construction and operation of Russian missiles. A significant find was the Ch-101 missile, which appears to have components mirroring those of the American Tomahawk missile.

By examining missile wreckage intercepted by Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses, insights into Russian missile designs and functionalities have been gained. One such specimen, the Ch-101, a maneuvering missile, revealed a guidance system in its debris. This system offers clues about the missile's target acquisition process.

The Ch-101 represents an advanced iteration of the Russian Ch-55 nuclear missile. It employs a conventional warhead and incorporates modifications to lower its radar visibility, making it harder to detect.

Yet, these countermeasures have limited efficacy. Ukrainian defenses readily identify and intercept these missiles, thanks in part to their relatively slow, subsonic velocity.

See also: Is this NATO equipment or Russian?

Deployed from platforms like the Tu-95 strategic bombers, the Ch-101 features a distinct engine mechanism that extends from the missile body just before launch. Additionally, its fuel tanks remain empty during flight and are only filled directly prior to deployment from the bomber’s reserves.

The Ch-101, measuring 24 feet 3 inches in length and weighing approximately 2.3 tons, boasts a variable range. At optimal flight altitude, its reach extends between 2,175 and 2,796 miles. However, this range drops significantly when the missile maintains a low altitude to leverage terrain masking.

What intrigued the Ukrainians most was the discovery of the Otblesk-U guidance system, reminiscent of the technology employed in the American Tomahawk cruise missile. This includes a downward-facing camera module that captures terrain imagery beneath the missile, comparing it with preloaded maps for pinpoint positioning. The method through which Russian developers might have accessed proprietary American technology remains a subject of speculation and concern for Western nations, given previous instances of NATO-designed system elements found in weapons utilized by adversary forces.

Further analysis of missile remnants revealed that while older models contained a single variable-focus lens system, newer iterations boast an enhanced three-lens guidance module.

This upgrade enables targeting precision to within meters. Moreover, it operates passively, making it robust against signal disruption. While the Ch-101 initially relies on satellite navigation for coarse positioning, the onus of precise targeting falls to the Otblesk-U.

However, this system's effectiveness is hampered by the prerequisite of embedding detailed terrain maps and target imagery into the missile's memory. Given Russia's constrained satellite reconnaissance capabilities, this requirement might significantly limit the Ch-101's operational effectiveness.