Kh-35 (AS-20 Kayak)

A Soviet-designed, Russian-built subsonic cruise missile family developed for anti-ship warfare and subsequently adapted for air, naval, coastal and land-attack employment.

Overview

The Kh-35, known to NATO as the AS-20 Kayak, is a compact subsonic cruise missile designed to attack warships and transport vessels displacing up to 5,000 tonnes. Its principal forms are the air-launched Kh-35, ship-launched 3M24 Uran and truck-launched 3K60 Bal; surface- and helicopter-launched rounds use an additional rocket booster. The missile's resemblance to the US Harpoon produced the informal nickname "Harpoonski," although the Russian family has its own launch architecture, seekers and development history, as summarized by the Kh-35 technical history.

The missile follows a low-altitude, sea-skimming flight profile and uses inertial guidance before activating a radar seeker for terminal homing. The improved Kh-35U adds satellite navigation, greater stated range and an active/passive seeker intended to support operation against ships, radar emitters and fixed land targets. Russia has employed this upgraded version extensively beyond its original maritime role during the war against Ukraine, including strikes against port infrastructure, air-defense equipment, radar installations and urban targets.

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