Russia’s aerial campaign in Syria has been used to test weapon systems that had not been previously employed in combat, including the Raduga Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile.
On November 20, a new Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile crashed in Iran near the outskirts of the city of Shush.
The missile, fired by Russia towards Syria, failed mid-flight and landed inside Iranian territory.
The Kh-101 is an advanced cruise missile designed to eventually replace the Kh-55 missile onboard Soviet/Russian strategic bombers, such as the Tu-160 and Tu-95. It features a 400-kg conventional warhead, stealth characteristics, high subsonic speed, and a low-altitude flight profile. The conventionally armed Kh-101 has been described as Russia’s counterpart to the United States Air Force AGM-129 air-launched cruise missile.