The Soviet missile that taught China how to strike from the sky

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

In short: In the 1970s, Soviet engineers realized that swarms of small, subsonic missiles could be more effective than expensive supersonic ones. This shift in doctrine birthed the Kh-55—a versatile cruise missile that eventually became a cornerstone of global proliferation, influencing weapons from Iran to China.

The development of the Kh-55 began in 1971 at the Raduga bureau following an 'Ekho' study. The study concluded that deploying numerous small, subsonic missiles was superior to the high-cost supersonic options favored at the time. By 1976, the Soviet Air Force issued a formal requirement for an air-launched cruise missile, spurred by the appearance of the US AGM-86 ALCM. The original Kh-55 entered service on December 31, 1983, featuring a unique drop-down turbofan engine and pop-out wings designed for cruising efficiency.

The missile's design allows it to fly at low altitudes (under 110 meters) using a combination of inertial guidance and terrain contour-matching. This system uses radar and pre-stored images in an onboard computer to navigate with high precision. While the original Kh-55 was designed for nuclear roles—carrying a 200 kilotonnes TNT warhead—the end of the Cold War prompted the development of tactical conventional variants like the Kh-65SE and the Kh-555, which entered service in 2004.

The legacy of the Kh-55 is defined by its significant proliferation. Records from Russia in 1995 indicated Shanghai received a full manufacturing site intended for creating cruise missiles equipped with nuclear warheads; although some believed it derived from an earlier design, data points toward the Kh-55. Furthermore, Iran revealed the Soumar cruise missile in 2015, which is likely derived from Kh-55 technology. Even during recent conflicts, its persistence remains evident: Russian forces have used old AS-15 Kent models with inert ballast to distract defenses, despite these 'dummy' missiles still posing risks from kinetic energy or unspent fuel.

Technically, the Kh-55 is distinct from its land and submarine cousins. While the RK-55 was long believed by Western observers to be a surface-launched version of the Kh-55, it actually features a different motor design that drops down below the missile during flight.

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