| INTRODUCTION /
HISTORY
I was first intriguied by
the look of a Launch Pad Rockets
copy of the AS-17 "Krypton". I have previously
constructed a Launch Pad copy of the Exocet MM.40
and enjoyed the amount of time it takes to piece one together. Now a modeler
self-touture expert, I thought I'd graduate to the Krypton. I purchased
a kit model from ValueLand and immediately
knew I wanted to upscale. First I needed to research the original
missile to assure myself of the dimensions needed and not just upscale
from the Launch Pad model. 
I have not found scale line
drawings so I have had to design from sizing and information both from
the Launch Pad version to scale up and scale down from what information
I have found on the web about the missile.
MISSILE VARIANTS
Gathering cursory level information
concerning a foreign military armamanet is relatively easy given the advent
of the world wide web. Information however is limited to previously
available knowledge, now only posted on a web site, to arms industry articles.
Scale drawings and other detailed information appear not to be available
through general web search users.
Historically I can determine
that three general variants of the missile exist. The name in general that
has persisted is Kh-31. Identification names have changed over the years;
AS-17, Kh-31(Kh-31A, Kh-31P), and MA-31(XM-31). Version Kh 31A: Active
Radar - Anti Ship, Version Kh 31 P: ARM - Radar Seeking, Version
Kh 31: ARM - Anti-AWACS, MA-31: Target Drone. The general structure and
design of the missile has remained the same with, of course technical modifications
added as the missile evolves for various uses.
A Soviet ARM developed and
manufactured by, Zvezda-Strela
("Zvezda" Experimental Design Bureau and "Strela" Machine-building Plant),
the Kh-31, is a ramjet-powered missile with a solid-fuel boost motor and
performance in excess of Mach 2. The solid booster is mounted inside the
liquid ramjet. Once burnt out it falls out and the ram jets ignite.
Born in the late 1960's, the
missile adopted the NATO designation of AS-17 "Krypton". The original
design was an underwing MIG guided air-to-surface attack missile. The armament
has been carried mostly by the Sukhoi Su-27,
but also Su-30 and Su-33 adaptations were made.
USA
Code Name: AS
- 17 
Nato Code Name:
Krypton
Russian Designation:
Kh 31
Range:
50 Km
Fuel:
Solid Booster
Engine:
Liquid Ramjet
Speed:
Mach 3.5
Inservice:
196?
Warhead:
90 Kg
By the mid 1980's Zveda, redesigned
the guided air-to-surface missile with a purpose. The KH-31P was
developed as a guided attack missile to eliminate enemy warships.
Much like the French Exocet missile, the KH-31 would fly at supersonic
speed and deliver a warhead at the waterline of a ship. Concurrently,
the KH-31A version was designed to attack radar installations. The unit
was designed to be launched underwing, igniting a solid propellant thrusting
the unit to sonic speed. At burnout the solid boost core would be ejected.
Liquid fuel propellant would then ignite. Typically kerosene was utilized,
burning through four outboard ramjets.
Russian
Kh-31
Payload -
100 KG. - 220 POUNDS 
Range -
16 Miles Low AltitudeSea Skimmer
Diameter -
0.36 Meters (1.2 Feet)
Length -
4.7 Meters (15.4 Feet)
Weight -
600 KG. (1,320 LB.)
Engine -
Kerosene Ramjet
Guidance - Active/Passive
R/F Seeker - ARM VersionN
Speed -
MACH 2.7 (3,010 fps at 30 Feet),
MACH 3.5+ at Altitude
The lastest version of the missile
came about rather uniquely. In an effort of the Clinton administration
to help the cash strapped economy of the new Russia, the US purchased the
technology and 28 Kh-31 units.  A
government contract was awarded to Boeing to utilized the KH-31's and to
convert the existing units and develop and refine for further use units
as supersonic target drones. The units were purchased for around $1.3 million
each. Reminiscent of the Contra arms sales, ranking military leaders believed
they were following orders when expending funds to develop/buy/build missiles
worthy of use as target drones. Did they stop to think who they bought
technology and hardware from? A political / military blunder ensued
and everyone pointed fingers at others.
Convert
Kh-31 to Target Drones 
Clinton
Administration Purchase
The missiles that were obtained
and converted were tested by the U.S. Navy. Read the attached "pdf"
for more information.
1996
U.S. Navy Test MA-31 , Chapter 3
WEB ARTICLES
Zvezda Kh-31 (AS-17 Krypton)
New air defense weapon systems
of the American Patriot kind have raised the requirements which antiradar
missiles must meet. These include first of all higher speed and longer
range, then also high interference immunity and radar turn-off when attacked.
For the special purpose of
meeting these requirements, the "Zvezda" group under the direction of V.
Bugayskiy began in 1977 working on the Kh-31 missile (Article) 77P). The
first launchings of this missile took place in 1982.
The most interesting component
of the Kh-31P is its dual propulsion system designed by the "Soyuz" Design
Bureau in Turayevo near Moscow (note: there are several "Soyuz" engineering
groups in Russia). First the missile is accelerated by its solid-fuel rocket
engine to a speed of Mach 1.8, then the engine is discarded and the interior
of the missile is converted into the combustion chamber of the missile's
jet engine. The latter accelerates the missile to a speed of almost Mach
4.5, while four air intake holes on the sides of the missile body open
up. On the basis of the Kh-31P antiradar missile were developed the
Kh-31A missile (Article 77A) with an active-radar guidance head and also
an M-31 flying target for air defense training exercises. The Kh-31 was
for the first time publicly displayed in November 1991, in Dubai (United
Arab Emirates).
The State Scientific Production
Center Zvezda-Strela has upgraded the air-to-surface supersonic ASM Kh-31A
NATO: AS-17 Krypton). Recently a variant of the air-to-air class based
on the Kh-31 was made available, equipped with a hybrid active-passive
guidance head for use against nonmaneuvering airborne targets such as AWACS
(passive guidance) from far distances. The range of this missile is 200
km. The unofficial designation of this missile is 'mini-Moskit'. The Kh-31A
missile has been developed from the technologies of the 1970-80s.
Specifications
Contractor
Entered Service
Total length
5.232 m
Diameter
0.36 m
Wingspan
0.779 m
Weight
600 kg
Warhead Weight
90 kg
Propulsion
Maximum Speed
1000 m/s
Maximum effective range
70 km (Kh-31P 110 km)
Guidance mode
Active Radarhoming
Source: Military
Analysis Network
KH-31A / AS-17 KRYPTON:
The early Kh-31A is a long,
slender missile with four ramjet intakes arranged around the back half
of the fuselage and stubby compound tailfins.
________________________________________________________
spec
metric
english
________________________________________________________
wingspan
1.15 meters
3 feet 10 inches
length
4.7 meters
15 feet 5 inches
total weight
600 kilograms 1,320 pounds
warhead weight
90 kilograms
200 pounds
speed
Mach 2+
range at altitude
70 kilometers
43 MI / 38 NMI
_______________________________________________________
The later Kh-31P uses a passive
radar seeker, and is a bit longer, at 5.23 meters (17.2 feet), with a longer
range of 200 kilometers (125 miles). Some sources suggest that there is
an antiship missile variant, and in an interesting irony, there is a variant
in service with the US Navy as a high-speed target, under the designation
"MA-31 Target System".
The MA-31 is a Boeing "product".
The Russian design bureau Zvezda removed the warheads and other Russian
military gear and sold the missiles to Boeing, which added control and
tracking electronics. The MA-31 can be used to simulate high-altitude and
sea-skimming threats. Thirteen MA-31s were delivered to the US Navy from
1995 to 2000, and in 2000 the Navy placed an order for 34 more.
In another irony, the main
threats the MA-31 is meant to emulate are Russian-made supersonic antiship
missiles. It is a compliment to emerging Russian capitalist instincts to
cut a deal where they make money coming and going.
Source: Anti-Radar
Russian Missiles
ZVEZDA KH-31 NATO AS-17
KRYPTON
PAYLOAD -
100 KG. WARHEAD - 220 POUNDS
RANGE
- 125 MILES IMPROVED "P" VERSION MOD-2
DIAMETER -
.36 METERS (1.2 FEET)
LENGTH
- 4.7 METERS (15.4 FEET)
WEIGHT
- 600 KG. (1,320 LB.)
ENGINE
- KEROSENE RAMJET
GUIDANCE - ACTIVE/PASSIVE
R/F SEEKER - DESIGNED TO ATTACK PATRIOT AND AEGIS RADAR SYSTEMS.
SPEED
- MACH 2.7 (1,785 KEAS OR 3,010 FPS) AT 30 FEET
MACH 3.5+ AT ALTITUDE
ZVEZDA DESIGN BUREAU
KALINGRAD, RUSSIA
The Zvezda Kh-31 is an anti-radar
homing missile designed to attack Patriot and Aegis radar systems. The
ramjet powered missile is lowered into the airstream below the firing aircraft
on a trapeze like launch rack and the integrated ramjet engine is then
started, launching the missile toward its target.
U.S. Navy tests indicated
that the Kh-31 could not sustain low altitude flight at ranges over 15
miles - even if it did reach top speeds of over Mach 2.7 at 30 feet. Improvements
suggested by U.S. engineers have been incorporated into the missile (P
version) - extending its range to over 45 miles at low altitude super-sonic
flight and over 100 miles at altitudes over 30,000 feet. China has signed
a license to produce the improved Kh-31 with Russia. Russian made Kh-31
missiles already to arm Chinese Su-27 Flanker fighters patrolling the Taiwan
Straits.
Source: Softwar.Net
THE Kh-31 IN USE
TODAY:
With 165 MiG-27L `Flogger-J'
aircraft made between 1986 and 1996, India is currently the world's sole
user of this aircraft (Ukraine has several dozen MiG-27s but intends to
delete them). An initial agreement between India and Russia on modernising
MiG-23s and MiG-27s was signed on 27 September 1994. The scope of upgrade
planned for the MiG-27 is similar to that of the MiG-23B-98. A modernised
MiG-27 with new avionics and `glass' cockpit was shown in India during
the Bangalore exposition of December 1996. The target design provides a
Komar (`Gnat') radar in an under-fuselage container and a helmet-mounted
sight. The armament set will include Kh-31 ASMs as well as R-77 and R-73
AAMs (no AAMs are currently used by the MiG-27). Resumption of the MiG-27's
production in India is being considered.
Source: Aeronautics:Russia
-
Jane's Defence Weekly - China
To Acquire Anti-Ship Missiles - February 21, 2001
By Yihong Zhang
China's People's Liberation
Army/Navy (PLAN) is preparing to sign a contract covering the procurement
of Kh-35 (AS-20 'Kayak') long-range anti-ship missiles, Russian defence
industry sources have told Jane's Defence Weekly.
Manufactured by the Zvezda-Strela
company, the weapons are expected to be integrated with Sukhoi Su-30MKK
fighters, indicating that the latest batch of these aircraft could be deployed
by China's naval aviation force.
The introduction into service
of the Kh-35, which is reported to have a maximum range of 130- 140km,
would serve to greatly improve the PLAN's anti-ship capabilities. The weapon
deploys a 145kg high-explosive warhead at speeds of up to 300m/s.
In a further development,
a model of China's Xian Aircraft Company's JH-7 fighter has also been exhibited
armed with the Zvezda-Strela Kh-31 (AS-17 'Krypton') medium-range anti-ship
missile. This modification is also expected to enable the JH-7 to deploy
the Kh-31P anti-radiation missile, a Chinese version of which (the KR-1)
is already in existence.
A model of the Shenyang Aircraft
Corporation J-8D interceptor has also been exhibited equipped with Russian
Vympel R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') air-to-air missiles. The R27 on J8D is a radar
guidance missile, and China has so far imported three versions of the radar-guided
missile from Ukraine's ARTEM Missile Factory, including the R-27ER, R-27R
and the R-27P, which is believed to feature a passive radar seeker.
China could also have imported
from Russia or Ukraine the software needed to launch the R-27 range of
missiles, enabling it to further upgrade the J-8D's fire-control system.
Source: Coventional
Arms Transfer Project
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