Russia's new X-555 cruise missile operates better than its predecessor

The innovation has put an end to the USA's monopoly in usage of high-precision long-range missiles

Russia's newest aviation cruise missile X-555 created by the Tactical Missile Weapons corporation can easily get to a vent sash from the distance of over 2,000 kilometers. The new weapon will replace cruise missiles with nuclear warheads currently adopted by the Russian strategic aviation.

Test of the new missile was conducted in August with President Putin's participation. The military say that the innovation has put an end to the USA's monopoly in usage of high-precision long-range missiles. Now, the Russian Air Force can use such missiles for any mission, including liquidation of international terrorist camps.

See photogallery of Russian arms

The new X-555 missile is a real sensation because the Russian defense complex has created no strategic weapons systems within a rather long period. Military experts say it is expensive and makes no sense today to create new strategic weapons: it is unlikely that a war may break out between Moscow and Washington, the reason why the USSR, then Russia, and the USA have been improving their offensive arsenals. And there is no point of using nuclear weapons against terrorists.

This is the reason why the defense complex nearly gave up production of modern Tu-160 bomber equipped with X-55 long-range nuclear cruise missiles. Chief Designer of JSC Raduga Igor Seleznev told the Izvestia newspaper that the enterprise created a new non-strategic cruise missile on the basis of X-55. This fact seriously saved spending meant for developments.
 
Igor Seleznev says that X-555 resembles its predecessor, X-55, just on the outside; the engine, the target seeker and the battle section of the new missile have been altered. There are now additional fuel tanks that allow to cover longer distances, about 3,500 thousand kilometers according to some estimates. During the flight, the machine can dip and climb, may fly above the surface and round the relief. Its target seeker obtains information about targets from its own optic-electronic navigation system and also from the GLONASS multi-channel satellite navigation system. 

The flight mission is input into X-555 when it is still on an air base; the robot pilot gets the same mission for further control of the flight mission in operation. During the test in August, all the four missiles launched from the Tu-160 bomber hit exactly the planned targets.

X-555 is the second missile system of the Tactical Missile Weapons corporation adopted by the Russian army. Recently, the Black Sea fleet got the Bal self-propelling coastal antiship missile complex with the X-35 cruise missile. The complex is unique which is proved by the fact that Americans want to have the target seeker of the X-35 missile for its Harpoon missile.

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