Tag archive

air-launched Weapon Systems

Weapon systems and military equipment tagged air-launched.

12 weapon systems

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

1
Su-24, Supersonic all-weather tactical bomber and strike aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsSu-24Supersonic all-weather tactical bomber and strike aircraftSide: UkraineBuilt: Sukhoi / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Su-24, NATO reporting name Fencer, is a Soviet-designed twin-engine tactical bomber built for low-level all-weather strike missions. In Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine War, surviving Su-24M and Su-24MR aircraft became especially important after integration of Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles, allowing long-range attacks without relying on newer Western combat aircraft.

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

11
GBU-28, 5,000-pound class laser/GPS-guided bunker-buster bomb, ArtilleryArtilleryGBU-285,000-pound class laser/GPS-guided bunker-buster bombSide: IsraelBuilt: Raytheon; warhead production included Lockheed, National Forge, and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems / United StatesThe GBU-28 is a U.S.-origin hard-target penetrator in the Paveway III family, built around a 5,000-pound class BLU-113 or BLU-122 warhead for attacking deeply buried command centers, tunnels, and other hardened fixed targets. Israel operates the weapon from F-15-class strike aircraft, and its post-2015 catalog evidence is strongest for reported Israeli use against Hamas tunnel infrastructure during the 2021 Gaza War.
AIR LORA, Air-launched ballistic missile, ArtilleryArtilleryAIR LORAAir-launched ballistic missileSide: IsraelBuilt: Israel Aerospace Industries / IsraelAIR LORA is Israel Aerospace Industries' air-launched member of the LORA precision-strike missile family, intended to give fighter aircraft a supersonic stand-off ballistic weapon for high-value targets such as command centers, air bases, critical infrastructure, naval vessels, and hardened military sites. Public specifications remain limited, but IAI describes the missile as an INS/GPS-guided, GNSS-hardened, fire-and-forget weapon with under-10-meter accuracy and blast-fragmentation or deep-penetration warhead options.
Kh-69, Air-launched land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-69Air-launched land-attack cruise missileSide: RussiaBuilt: JSC Raduga State Design Bureau / Tactical Missiles Corporation / RussiaThe Kh-69 is a Russian subsonic air-launched land-attack cruise missile developed by Raduga within Tactical Missiles Corporation for precision strikes against fixed targets. It is associated with tactical aircraft such as the Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57, uses inertial, satellite, radar-altimeter, and electro-optical terminal guidance, and has been documented in Russian strikes during the Russia-Ukraine War.
ROCKS, Air-launched standoff ballistic missile, ArtilleryArtilleryROCKSAir-launched standoff ballistic missileSide: IsraelBuilt: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems / IsraelROCKS is Rafael's Israeli air-launched standoff missile for rapid precision attacks on high-value surface, relocatable, or hardened targets from outside dense air-defense coverage. It combines GPS/INS navigation with electro-optical scene matching and optional anti-radiation terminal guidance, giving Israeli aircraft a supersonic deep-strike weapon for contested or GPS-denied environments.
Kh-55/Kh-555, Air-launched subsonic cruise missile family, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-55/Kh-555Air-launched subsonic cruise missile familySide: RussiaBuilt: Raduga Design Bureau / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Kh-55/Kh-555 family is a Soviet-designed, Raduga-built air-launched cruise missile line carried by Russian strategic bombers. The original Kh-55 was a nuclear-armed standoff weapon, while the Kh-555 is a conventional derivative with improved accuracy and a reported range up to about 3,500 km. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Tu-95MS bombers have launched Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 missiles as part of large mixed strike packages against Ukrainian infrastructure and other targets.
Kh-22, Air-launched supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-22Air-launched supersonic anti-ship cruise missileSide: RussiaBuilt: MKB Raduga / Soviet UnionThe Kh-22, NATO reporting name AS-4 Kitchen, is a large Soviet-era air-launched cruise missile built for long-range attacks on carrier groups and other major targets. Designed by Raduga for bomber carriage, it combines a liquid-fuel rocket motor, supersonic speed, and a very large conventional or nuclear warhead. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russia has repurposed the missile family for land-attack strikes, where its anti-ship guidance heritage and heavy payload make it especially destructive when used against urban targets.
Kh-59, Air-launched tactical cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-59Air-launched tactical cruise missileSide: RussiaBuilt: Raduga Design Bureau / Tactical Missile Armament Corporation / Smolensk Aviation Plant / Soviet Union / RussiaThe Kh-59 Ovod is a Soviet/Russian air-launched tactical cruise missile family developed by Raduga for standoff strikes from tactical aircraft. Later Kh-59M, Kh-59MK, Kh-59MK2, and Kh-59MKM variants added turbojet propulsion, larger warheads, anti-ship or land-attack guidance options, and longer range. Russia has used Kh-59-series guided air-launched missiles during the Russia-Ukraine War as part of mixed missile and drone attacks.
Kh-32, Supersonic air-launched anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryKh-32Supersonic air-launched anti-ship and land-attack cruise missileSide: RussiaBuilt: Raduga JSC, Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) / RussiaThe Kh-32 is a Russian supersonic air-launched cruise missile derived from the Kh-22 family and built for long-range strikes against ships and fixed ground targets. Carried by Tu-22M3-series bombers, it combines high-altitude flight, inertial navigation, and terminal radar homing, making it part of Russia's long-range missile strike inventory used against Ukraine.