MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. Russia's new Bal coastal missile system will receive an upgraded missile Kh-35E with a range of up to 300 kilometers, as well as drone target systems, Director General and chief designer of the Morinformsystema-Agat group of companies Georgy Antsev told TASS.
According to open sources, the current range of the Bal system equipped with the Kh-35E missiles is 120 kilometers.
"Essentially, everything is clear with Bal. The Tactical Missiles Corporation has upgraded the Kh-35E missile. It was created in the aviation version, it will also be used by ground forces and the navy. It has a good range - about 300 kilometers," Antsev said.
According to him, since this is a long-range missile, the coastal missile system needs a new targeting system. "The upgraded Bal is likely to be equipped with the drone complex to be used as a target designation system. The work involves the Kamov company, which has designed a drone weighing about a ton. We have a partner - the Radar company, which is engaged in creating a drone complex weighing about 500 kilograms," Antsev said.
He added that the Bal system had to be equipped with the underwater target designation. "We have underwater robotic equipment with good hydro-acoustics capable of working on the baseline and transmitting data to the shore," he said.