Russia Boosts Khrizantema Anti-Tank Missile Capability: Becomes A Stealth Weapon, Fires Hypersonic Missiles

Illustration of Khrizantema anti-tank missile in armored vehicle. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly V. Kuzmin)

JAKARTA - The upgrade of the world's most powerful long-range anti-tank missile, the Khrizantema, will increase its ability to penetrate armor plates and active defense arrays mounted on heavy armor, says military expert from the Independent Military Review magazine Dmitry Litovkin.

"The increase in the warhead of the missile will make it possible to strike targets protected by the screen grille," the military expert told TASS as quoted December 3.

In addition, he continued, the possibility of a further increase in the supersonic missile's high speed would allow it to penetrate active protection suites such as the Arena system more effectively.

"Most importantly, it fires supersonic missiles, which are not normally found by short-range air defense systems," he said, noting the Khrizantema missile's ability to counter battlefield air defenses, if mounted on a helicopter.

"In close areas, the Mi-28NM's combat attack potential is a higher factor as it is capable of destroying enemy air defenses without entering the battle area," he explained.

It is also difficult for electronic warfare systems to counter Khrizantema missiles, as they cannot be intercepted or jammed, he continued.

"Missile target control and systems are Russian knowledge," Litovkin said.

Illustration of Khrizantema anti-tank missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Mike1979 Russia)

Separately, the integration of the ground forces' most powerful anti-tank missile Khrizantema into the armament suite of domestic Mi-28NM and Ka-52M attack helicopters, will expand the list of targets involved, said military expert Igor Korotchenko.

"If mounted on a helicopter, the missile will expand the list of targets involved and increase the combat capabilities of advanced attack platforms, such as the Mi-28 and Ka-52, in any case, this is a promising area of development," he explained.

Meanwhile, the process of installing this system on aircraft carriers will be further refined and improved.

"It is clear that if the Machine Manufacturing Design Bureau (part of the High Precision Weapons Company within the state technology company Rostec) is involved in upgrading its particular system, they expect that this effort will be financed or already financed," Korotchenko said.

Previously, the Chief Designer of the Design Bureau of Machinery Manufacture Valery Kashin said during the EDEX 2021 international defense exhibition in Cairo on December 2, the company was upgrading Khrizantema.

To note, Khrizantema is currently part of the Khrizantema-S self-propelled anti-tank missile system and is being adapted for the latest helicopter gunships, in particular, the Mi-28NM and Ka-52M warships.

The missile can accelerate to 650 m/s, more than twice the speed of sound. In addition, this missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of 400 meters to 6 km. The road-mobile system has a fire rate of up to four missiles per minute and an ammunition payload of 15 missiles.