Russia Supercharges Su-35S With Twin Kh-31 Missiles—Here’s What We Know

Russia has signaled an expanded suppression-of-air-defenses role for its Su-35S fighter jets in new footage from the Russian Defense Ministry, according to Army Recognition on November 12. 

“New footage from Russia’s Defense Ministry shows a Su-35S multirole fighter armed with two Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles during patrols over southern Ukraine,” Army Recognition reported, adding that the configuration points to “a shift toward assigning radar-suppression roles to frontline fighters as the air campaign adapts.” 

The Kh-31P family is central to the configuration shown. Russian technical overview, the baseline Kh-31P is a ramjet-powered anti-radiation missile with a published range of up to 110 kilometers and an 87-kilogram high-explosive warhead that homes passively on radar emissions.

The modernized Kh-31PM variant, which has appeared in recent Russian footage, is described by Russian defense publications as utilizing an enlarged airframe and an updated broadband seeker to extend its engagement range to roughly 250–300 kilometers from favorable launch conditions, thereby covering a wider set of air-defense radars. 

In its analysis of the loadout, Army Recognition compared the Kh-31PM to Western anti-radiation weapons such as the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) and the newer AARGM-ER, which combine a passive anti-radiation receiver with GPS/INS navigation and a millimeter-wave terminal seeker to maintain accuracy even if an enemy radar stops transmitting. 

Army Recognition reported that the appearance of a Su-35S with two Kh-31P-series missiles in official footage indicates that Russian planners are assigning anti-radar missions more broadly to high-end fighters, rather than relying primarily on specialized Su-34 strike jets.

Earlier, it was reported that a missile‑and‑drone attack on Ukraine included two Kh‑31P anti‑radiation missiles among the incoming munitions.

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