Profile
- Type
- Air-launched aeroballistic missile
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Russia
- Service note
- Modern Russian long-range precision strike
Artillery
Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is a Russian air-launched aeroballistic missile carried by modified aircraft such as the MiG-31K. It is reported to be derived from the Iskander-M missile family and gives Russia a high-speed conventional or nuclear-capable strike option used in the Russia-Ukraine War.
Service History
- In service
- 2017-present
- Used by
- Russian Aerospace Forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Russian defense industry; exact developer not publicly confirmed
- Designed
- 2010s
- Built in
- Russia
- Variants
- Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
Specifications
- Launch platform
- Modified MiG-31 fighter; other Russian bomber integrations have been reported
- Class
- Air-launched ballistic missile
- Length
- 8.0 m
- Diameter
- 1.0 m
- Payload
- 480 kg
- Warhead
- Conventional or nuclear
- Range
- Reported 1,500-2,000 km
- Speed
- Reported acceleration to Mach 4 after launch and possible speeds up to Mach 10
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Used by Russian forces for long-range air-launched ballistic missile strikes against Ukrainian targets, including Russia's March 2022 claim of a Kinzhal strike on a munitions depot near Deliatyn.
Related Weapon Systems
9K720 IskanderRoad-mobile tactical ballistic and cruise missile systemThe 9K720 Iskander is a Russian road-mobile tactical missile system that launches short-range ballistic missiles and, in Iskander-K configuration, ground-launched cruise missiles. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has served as one of Russia's principal precision-strike systems for attacks beyond the immediate front line.
Tochka-URoad-mobile tactical ballistic missile systemTochka-U is the upgraded 9K79-1/OTR-21 short-range tactical ballistic missile system, carried on a wheeled transporter-erector-launcher and designed for battlefield strikes with high-explosive or cluster warheads. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears as a legacy Soviet missile system used by both sides, giving Ukraine an indigenous long-range strike option early in the invasion while also appearing in documented Russian attacks.
AGM-88 HARMAir-to-surface anti-radiation missileThe AGM-88 HARM is a U.S. high-speed anti-radiation missile built to home on radar emissions from enemy air-defense systems. In the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S.-supplied HARMs gave Ukrainian aircraft a suppression-of-enemy-air-defenses weapon for forcing or striking Russian radar systems despite the missile's original integration with Western aircraft.
Archer155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzerArcher is a Swedish 155 mm L52 wheeled self-propelled howitzer built around rapid automated firing and displacement from an armored cab. In Ukrainian service it adds NATO-caliber mobile tube artillery, with Sweden documenting both donated Archer systems and follow-on barrel support after intensive wartime use.
HarpoonCoastal and anti-ship cruise missile systemHarpoon is a U.S.-origin all-weather anti-ship cruise missile family built around active radar terminal homing and sea-skimming flight. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine received land-based Harpoon coastal defense systems and adapted truck-launched RGM-84 missiles to threaten Russian surface ships operating near the Black Sea coast.
M270 MLRSTracked multiple launch rocket systemThe M270 MLRS is a tracked, armored multiple launch rocket system built around two launch-pod containers for guided rockets or tactical missiles. In Ukrainian service during the Russia-Ukraine War, donated M270-family launchers complement HIMARS by carrying a larger rocket load on a heavier tracked chassis for long-range precision fires.Sources
Kh-47M2 KinzhalPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Threat | Note: Supports Kinzhal classification, Russian origin, service history, Iskander-derived background, launch platform, dimensions, payload, warhead, range, and speed. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Russia's Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile: A Game-Changing Weapon or a Distraction?Publisher: Nuclear Threat Initiative | Note: Supports background on the missile's role, payload, launch profile, reported speed, and public analysis of Russia's Kinzhal claims. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Russia Claims First Use of Hypersonic Kinzhal Missile in UkrainePublisher: BBC News | Note: Direct Russia-Ukraine War source for Russia's March 2022 claim that it used a Kinzhal missile against a Ukrainian munitions depot near Deliatyn. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (Dagger)Publisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports designer/production attribution, Russian designation, range, payload, guidance, propellant, operational status, and background context. | Accessed: 2026-06-19Kh-47M2 Kinzhal Army-2022Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the primary image showing a Kinzhal training mockup mounted on a Russian MiG-31K. | Accessed: 2026-06-19