Protecting interests of Russia and her friends

Military-technical cooperation between Russia and foreign countries is one of the important issues for the Tactical Missile Corporation, local acronym KTRV. Export versions of the manufacturer’s products have been shipped to several dozen countries. There is a high solvent demand for such products on the global marketplace. Large backlog of foreign orders provides evidence that overseas customers are eager to cooperate. Efforts continue on promotion and deliveries of defense products to foreign buyers. The Corporation makes them in close interaction with the Federal Service for Military-technical сooperation of Russian Federation and Rosoboronexport.

India has been a key partner for Russia in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. Much attention is paid to further strengthening already reliable, long-term and mutually-beneficial ties, as well as to the Make in India program.

In his interviews, KTRV Director General Boris Obnosov has many times spoken of efforts being made by the Russian and Indian colleagues in frame of joint bi-national project on development and production of BrahMos tactical missiles. In his words, this is an exemplary case of successful military-technical cooperation. The BrahMos missiles are intended for land, naval and aviation strike systems.

Co-founders of BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd. (established in 1998) are Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Scientific-industrial association of machinery-building, a member in KTRV) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) reporting to India’s Ministry of Defense. The BrahMos missiles are in service with the Indian Air force, Navy and Army. Deli-veries have been in progress to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the first export order for three coastal defense batteries employing BrahMos cruise missiles. A few other countries have expressed interest in such weapons. The project on development of BrahMos-NG advanced supersonic cruise missile has been going on successfully. This weapon is intended against not only sea-going, but also land targets. In parallel with research and development efforts, the manufacturer has recently launched construction of a new factory.

Exportable products at the show in Bangalore

A wide spectrum of air-launched munitions from the Tactical Missile Corporation, falling into air-to-air and air-to-surface classes, is on display at AERO INDIA 2025. The manufacturer’s exposition at this air show, being one of the largest such events round the world, includes scaled (1:5) mockups of the Kh-35UE and Kh-31AD anti-ship missiles, the Kh-31PD anti-radiation missile, the Kh-38MLE, Kh-69 multipurpose missiles as well as the Kh-59МК modernized missile.

The Kh-35UE can be carried by combat or search/patrol aircraft. Besides, it arms the Uran-E missile system aboard warships, as well as the Bal-E and Rubezh-ME mobile coastal protection systems. This weapon can also be used against land targets. The Kh-35UE features a combined guidance system that makes use of inertial and satellite navigation, as well as an active/passive homing head. This combination ensures high accuracy and resistance to jamming. Modern digital ’brain’ makes it possible to execute various algorithms for homing onto targets and attacking them.

Modernization efforts on the Kh-31PD and Kh-31AD high-speed guided missiles have brought about an increase in speed, firing range and warhead power. Besides, the Kh-31PD features wide-band homing head that ensures effective combat action against a wide spectrum of emitting targets.

The Kh-38ME layout corresponds to the modular principles. There are several missile versions in the family which share a unitary core module containing autonomous and satellite navigation systems. These versions can be outfitted with various warheads and homing heads. The Corporation highlights an increased firepower and high modernization potential of the aforementioned missile family.

Defense experts express interest in the modernized Kh-59MK. This extended-range guided missile is intended for defeating stationary land targets including reinforced objects. This weapon comes with a double-action warhead: the ’standard’ warhead of penetrating type is coupled with a pre-charge. Such layout, comprising a preliminary and main charges, causes two explosions. This makes it possible to penetrate through structures made of concrete.

The Kh-69 multifunctional low-observable precision-guided air-launched cruise missile has grabbed much attention of specialists taking part in international shows. This general-purpose weapon for operational-tactical aviation can be carried inside inner weapons bays of combat aircraft. Its development went on in accordance with most demanding requirements to air-launched munitions to do with accuracy, resistance to jamming, impact power, compactness and stealthiness. Thanks to all its merits, the Kh-69 has a large export potential and is expected to generate a high solvent demand in foreseeable future.

FFor the air-to-air class, please go to the manufacturer’s stand to see scaled mockups of the RVV-MD2, RVV-SD and RVV-BD missiles for short, medium and long ranges. These are intended for fighter aircraft and outfitted with new guidance systems with improved qualities to do with sensitivity and resistance to jamming. This enables using them in day or night time, in the conditions of electronic warfare, against the ground and water background, under fire-and-forget principle.

The show visitors are invited to take a look at the guided bomb units (GBU): the KAB-250LG-E and K08BE. Also on display there are UPAB-1500B-E and UPAB-1500TV-E gliding GBUs.

The KAB-250LG-E guided bomb unit features laser homing head and high-explosive/fragmentation charge. This engineering solution allows for the bomb’s release at altitude between one and ten kilometers from many carriers, including unmanned air vehicles (UAV). This bomb is intended for defeating unprotected vehicles, railway cross-stations, ammunition depots and alike. Tactical aviation warplanes can release these GBUs one by one or in salvo.

The K08BE guided bomb unit of 500-kg caliber features inertial/satellite navigation and high-explosive warhead of increased lethality. The K08BE is superior in performance to similar items attributed to second generation which are still in air force service. It is also superior to other GBUs in permitted altitude, speed and distance to target at which these bombs are released. This weapon is intended to defeat a long list of stationary targets in all weathers, in day or night time.

The UPAB-1500B-E guided gliding bomb is outfitted with inertial/satellite-aided targeting system. Combat aircraft attributed to 4++ or 5 generation can use this weapon in accordance with release-and-forget principle, from altitude up to 15 km. The gliding bomb can be used round-the-clock, in all weathers, to knock out ground and sea-going targets, reinforced fortified objects, as well as unprotected targets of high value. The inertial/satellite targeting system provides for high hitting accuracy and release at a distance to target up to 50 km.

The UPAB-1500TV-E guided gliding bomb features a combined guidance system. It represents a new step forward in GBU development. It was developed on the base of the UPAB-1500B-E serially manufactured product. In addition to the inertial-satellite targeting system, the newer one also comes with a TV homing head. Such a combination gives the aircraft crew a number of combat usage options to choose from, depending on assigned tasks, mission flown and flight conditions. Depending on type of target being attacked, it is possible to choose from three time options for the explosive charge go off. The new weapon is intended to act against ground and sea going targets, requiring pint-point striking accuracy, including fortified objects and those deep under ground.

The whole GBU family features a combination of high firepower and strike precision. Compared to missiles, these guided bombs are less expensive to manufacture.

The exposition devoted to the Su-57 comes with full-size mockups of missiles fitting inside weapons inner bays. Among them, there are the RVV-MD2, Kh-38MLE, Kh-69, Grom-E1, Kh-58UKShE. The later is an anti-radiation missile outfitted with wideband passive homing head, as well as a navigation system and automatic control on the base of strap-down (platformless) navigation system. This weapon can be used against pre-loaded emitting objects as well as targets that pop up, and get detected by the carrier-airplane’s sensors.

The Grom-E family of modular precision-guidance munitions is one of promising directions for development of airborne weapons. Such ammunition makes it possible to increase combat capabilities through modernization of onboard systems while keeping the general aerodynamic and internal layouts of serially-made baseline specimen. This product line includes the Grom-E1 multipurpose guided missile and Grom-E2 guided gliding munition.

The Grom-E1 is intended for hitting land targets with known coordinates. This missile is equipped with inertial/satellite targeting system. The latter can operate in all weathers, day or nighttime, and is completely autonomous when homing on target (thus not involving aircraft crews). Such a system features higher resistance to jamming. The missile carries a high-explosive/fragmentation warhead.

One more feature of this weapon to do with combat employment is that it is all-aspect one. If an aircraft launches such munitions in salvo, these can hit targets which are located in either forward or rear hemisphere. This is a considerable advantage of this weapon.

The Grom-E is fully compliant with the modern requirements to air-launched weapons intended for fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Its development went on taking account of the mandatory requirement to fit into inner weapons bays of combat jets. This reduces the airplane’s effective cross section (ECS). Besides, the Grom-E munitions can be placed on external hard points of forth-generation warplanes.

After-sales support

The Tactical Missile Corporation does not only supply India with modern weapons, but also undertakes projects on after-sales support, as well as those on training local personnel in operational use and repair.

Carrying out projects on after-sales activities, including maintenance of military products already delivered, the Corporation pays much attention to this issue. This enables it not only keep, but also strengthen presence on the global arms market. The long-term program on after-sales support of earlier exported weapons and military equipment, is being carried out involving dozens of respective contracts with overseas partners. The list of services offered has been extended on a regular basis.

Practical materialization of joint Russian-Indian projects in the sphere of precision weapons has been going on with much success. This provides evidence to the claim that the Tactical Missile Corporation has been following the right strategy on the global arms market. This strategy aims at mutually beneficial cooperation with overseas partners.