The Drive highly appreciated the armament of the Tu-22M3 bombers in Syria.
The Drive portal has carefully studied the photos and videos of the Russian Defense Ministry dedicated to the mission of the Tu-22M3 strategic bombers in Syria. The observer's attention was attracted by a huge X-22 rocket (11.6 meters long), under the wing of one of the planes.
The author notes that the X-22 (in the NATO codification AS-4 Kitchen) are known as high-speed killer ships that can be equipped with a nuclear or conventional warhead. There is also an exclusively nuclear version for ground use. "In its anti-ship version, the X-22, although an obsolete weapon, will still cause a serious headache to the operators of the defensive systems of any surface warships. Launched at Mach 1.5, the rocket accelerates to a cruising speed of Mach 3 after flying about 14 miles. Then, approaching the target, the rocket dives at an angle of about 30 degrees, accelerating to a final speed of Mach 4.1, " he writes.
Theoretically, each Tu-22M3 can carry three such missiles, although as a rule, the aircraft is armed with only one copy.
The author fears that the Tu-22M3s deployed to Syria, equipped with the X-22, will pose a serious threat to NATO ships.
Oleg Koryakin
