The missile that turns its own rocket case into a jet engine

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Most missiles discard their boosters and are done. The Kh-31 does something far more ingenious: it opens air intakes to turn the empty booster casing into a kerosene-fueled ramjet. This unique two-stage propulsion allows it to scream past defenses at Mach 4.

Developed by the Zvezda bureau, the Kh-31 first launched in 1982 and entered service in 1988. It was designed to solve a specific problem: Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD). To destroy surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites effectively, an aircraft needs to launch from a safe distance while the missile maintains high enough speed to evade interception. The Kh-31 achieves this by first using a solid-fuel booster to reach Mach 1.8, at which point the booster is discarded.

The engineering nuance lies in its transition to a ramjet. Once the booster falls away, four air intakes open on the missile's body. The empty rocket case becomes the combustion chamber for a kerosene-fueled engine, accelerating the craft beyond Mach 4. This allows the Kh-31P (anti-radiation) variant to stay at high altitudes, increasing its range to approximately 110 km while hunting enemy radar emissions.

The missile's versatility has made it a global export staple. While primarily known as an anti-radiation missile, it also exists in anti-ship variants like the Kh-31A, which can strike vessels up to 4,500 tons at ranges of 70 km. It has been utilized by Russia in conflicts such as South Ossetia (2008) and Ukraine (2022), and it serves as the basis for Chinese YJ-91 missiles. Even its design is a lineage of miniaturization, reportedly inspired by the much larger P-270 Moskit.

Despite its success, the Kh-31's capabilities are often subject to geopolitical rumors. For years, there have been unconfirmed reports of an "AWACS killer" air-to-air variant. While Russian officials denied such work in 2004, the possibility of adapting the anti-ship model for long-range aerial targets remains a point of interest for defense analysts.

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