The Russian company Kalashnikov developed the Vikher anti-tank guided missile and adapted it for use in intercepting drones.
“We did this on our own initiative, by adding a non-contact target sensor to the missile. Now the guided anti-tank missile operates in air-to-air mode and has already been used in combat,” said Alan Lushnikov, the company’s president, in an interview with the Russian news agency TASS.
He noted that the Vikhr missile was originally designed to combat armored vehicles, and proved highly effective at the beginning of the special military operation, particularly during the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer of 2023.
Then the circumstances of the military conflict changed, as armored vehicles moved away from the battlefield, while the use of drones became widespread.
The primary carrier for the Vikhr missile is the Ka-52 attack and reconnaissance helicopter. This helicopter is highly effective against fixed-wing drones, and adding a dedicated anti-drone version of the Vikhr missile to its arsenal would significantly enhance its capabilities.
Lushnikov added: "The missile provides more convenient conditions for guidance and launch, and it is also less expensive than an anti-aircraft missile."
The 9K121 "Vekhir," known in NATO as the "AT-16 Scallion," is a fourth-generation anti-tank guided missile developed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau in the Soviet era. It entered service in 1985 and remains in use today.
Developer: KBP Machine Design Bureau
Lead designer: Arkady Shipunov.
Development began in 1980.
Service entry: The "Vekher" version in 1985, and the improved "Vekher-M" version in 1990.
First international show: Farnborough Airshow in 1992.
Weight: 45 kg.
Length: 2.80 meters.
Diameter: 130 millimeters.
Warhead weight: 8-12 kg.
Warhead type: High-explosive anti-armor, with a shaped charge.
Armor penetration: Up to 1000 millimeters of armor, or 750 millimeters behind reactive armor.
Guidance system: Guidance by laser beam.
Maximum range: 10-12 kilometers during the day, and 5-6 kilometers at night.
Maximum speed: 610 meters per second, or about Mach 1.8.
Flight time: 23 seconds for a distance of 8 kilometers.
Detonation mechanism: Contact and proximity valves (non-contact).
The missile can be launched from several platforms, including
Helicopters: "Ka-50", "Ka-52" "Alligator", and "Mi-28NM".
Attack aircraft: "Su-25T" and "Su-39".
Warships: The naval version "Vikher-K".
The missile was originally designed to destroy armored and moving ground targets, including those equipped with reactive armor. It can also engage aerial targets, such as helicopters, attack aircraft, and drones, at speeds of up to 800 kilometers per hour, as well as naval targets, such as patrol boats, missile boats, and warships.
The Kalashnikov Group recently developed a modified version of the missile designed to intercept drones.
