MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. The Kalashnikov Concern said it is expanding its manufacturing premises in an effort that will enable it to more than double the production of Vikhr guided missiles and Kitolov high-precision rounds soon.
"New facilities for the production of high-precision products (the 9M33 air-defense missile, the Vikhr-1 and the Kitolov-2M) are being built on the concern’s vacant premises. These are heat treatment areas, tooling, assembly and mechanical workshops and auxiliary administrative and amenity spaces. In the near future, two large workshops will be put into operation, which will allow to more than double the production of high-precision ammunition," the Kalashnikov Concern said in a statement.
It said existing production facilities continue to operate seamlessly, working to execute the government’s defense contracts to the full extent. In addition, more than 40 new machine tools have already arrived at the production site as part of government-subsidized purchases, and another more than 100 are on the way. By the time the new production starts, the equipment will be fully in place.
"The demand for our products is consistently high, and feedback from the customer on their use in combat conditions is positive. The potential of the enterprise allows not only to increase technological capacity, but also to create new types of special products," the statement quoted Alan Lushnikov, the president of the concern, as saying.
High-precision weapons
The Vikhr air-launched missile is designed to strike ground maneuverable armored targets furnished with reactive armor and also medium-speed aerial targets (helicopters, attack aircraft and drones). The Russian Defense Ministry regularly reports that Russian helicopters use such missiles to destroy Western armored vehicles in service with Ukrainian forces. According to experts, thanks to its tandem warhead, the missile is capable of destroying almost any Western tank.
The Kitolov high-precision guided artillery system was developed by the Shipunov Instrument Design Bureau. Shipunov Instrumentation Design Bureau. It includes a guided fragmentation projectile with a semi-active homing head and a laser target designator and ranger, and is designed to engage armored targets and field works from the first shot. The projectile is available in 120 mm and 122 mm calibers.
The 9M333 missile, designed for the Strela-10M3 air defense systems, can engage low-flying aircraft and helicopters in the conditions of dropped, parachuted and modulated organized optical jammers, as well as remotely piloted aircraft and cruise missiles. The missile is capable of engaging targets at a range of up to 5,000 meters, with target speeds of up to 679 m/s and flight altitudes of 10 to 3,500 meters.