Russia updates deadly Ch‑101 missile with cluster warhead

The Russian Ch-101 missile is one of the newest designs in the arsenal of the Russian Federation. Production of this ammunition began in 2010-2011 and continues to this day.

However, the design of the Ch-101 is constantly evolving. The first version of the missile had a basic optical system based on a single lens. During the subsequent months of the war, it received further upgrades. In the second version, the Russians implemented an improved optical system with three lenses and an onboard system for defence against jamming.

Shortly after introducing the second version on the front, the Russians surprised the Ukrainians with another modernization. In the third generation, the improvement pertained to the warhead, specifically using a double warhead system instead of a single one.

Now, the Russians have started using the fourth version of the Ch-101, the specifications of which were determined thanks to the missile's shooting down and examination of the wreckage. This confirmed the worst fears, as the fourth edition of one of the Russian Federation's flagship missiles is equipped with two warheads, one of which is a cluster warhead.

What does this change mean for Ukrainians? Primarily, the presence of a cluster warhead makes the missile even more deadly and able to cover a larger area. This is due to the operating principle of this type of warhead – generally, "clusters" attack enemy positions by releasing numerous submunitions from the main body of the missile, which then fall over a large area. The problem is that the falling submunition does not always detonate immediately, posing a threat to civilians.

The Militarny portal explains that the Russians might have decided to install the second (cluster) warhead at the expense of reducing the fuel tanks of this subsonic missile, which accelerates to speeds of 1,000 km/h (approximately 620 mph).

Although the smaller fuel directly translates to a reduced range, it is likely not crucial for the Ch-101. In its basic version, it reaches even 5,000 km (approximately 3,100 miles), allowing it to cover the entire area of Ukraine, even when fired from far beyond the border. Therefore, the reduction in range is not critical, given the distances separating Russian air bases from targets in Ukraine.

It should be recalled that the Ch-101 is a valuable weapon not only due to its destructive power, which has been further increased in the latest version. It is also high-precision ammunition – its striking accuracy is estimated to be within a few metres. This is thanks to the Otblesk-U guidance module, which verifies during the flight whether the image "seen" by the missile matches the image recorded before the ammunition was fired at the enemy.