Kh-23 Grom vs Nimrod (missile)

Zvezda-Strela^[source]

Solid fuel rocket^[source]

Kh-66: Line-Of-Sight Beam riding Kh-23: Radio command guidance Grom-B : TV guidance^[source]

Yak-38 , MiG-21 PFM, MiG-23 , MiG-27 , Su-17 M3/20/22/22M3/M4,^[source]

Afghanistan^[source]

Algeria^[source]

Angola^[source]

Azerbaijan^[source]

Belarus^[source]

Bulgaria^[source]

Cambodia^[source]

Congo^[source]

Cuba^[source]

Czechoslovakia^[source]

Czech Republic^[source]

East Germany^[source]

Egypt^[source]

Finland^[source]

Georgia^[source]

Germany^[source]

Hungary^[source]

India^[source]

Iraq^[source]

Kazakhstan^[source]

Libya^[source]

Nigeria^[source]

Poland^[source]

Romania^[source]

Serbia^[source]

Slovakia^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

Sudan^[source]

Syria^[source]

Ukraine^[source]

Vietnam^[source]

Yugoslavia^[source]

family of early Soviet tactical air-to-surface missiles^[source]

long-range air-to-surface missile^[source]

The Zvezda Kh-66 and Kh-23 Grom ( Russian : Х -23 Гром 'Thunder'; NATO : AS-7 'Kerry' ) are a family of early Soviet tactical air-to-surface missiles with a range of 10 km. They were intended for use against small ground or naval targets. The Kh-66 was effectively a heavy-warhead, beam-riding version of the K-8 (AA-3 'Anab') air-to-air missile rushed into service in Vietnam in 1968. The Kh-23 was an improved Kh-66 with command-guidance, similar to the AGM-12 Bullpup .^[source]Kh-23 Grom · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The resulting weapon used the body of a K-8 (AA-3 'Anab') , K-5 guidance and propulsion systems, but increased the warhead from 13 kg (29 lb) to 100 kg (220 lb). This had the big advantage of allowing the new weapon to be fitted to any aircraft capable of firing the K-5. Design began in 1966, so the project was known as Kh-66 or Izdeliye 66 ('Article 66'). The Kh-66 was a beam-riding weapon that was first tested on the MiG-21PFM , with the first launches of the missile in September 1966. It entered production in 1968 for that aircraft. The Kh-66 was only an interim solution as it required the launch aircraft to dive towards the target to maintain lock on the target. It entered service on 20 June 1968 .The reason it was only carried on the MIG-21PFM was, since it was a beam-riding missile, it was paired with a radar, the RP-21M, which other aircraft did not have.^[source]Kh-23 Grom · Development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Meanwhile, Korolyov took over work on the Kh-23 project intended for carriage on the Soviet Union's new MiG-23. The Kh-23 became a development of the Kh-66 design with an improved propellant and new Delta-R1M guidance system. The main practical difference was that it was a line-of-sight radio-command weapon similar to the Bullpup, allowing it to be fired in level flight (unlike the Kh-66). The first ten were tested in early 1968, but significant delays were caused by problems with unreliable guidance which was eventually traced to the smoke generator which interfered with the antenna. Once the receiver had been moved to a tail extension, the government tested the missile on the MiG-23 and MiG-23B between 20 March 1970 and 3 October 1973. and it entered service in 1973. A laser-guided version of the Kh-23, the Kh-25, became the basis for the AS-10 'Karen' family of missiles. Technology from these was 'backported' to the Kh-23 to create the Kh-23M in 1974.^[source]Kh-23 Grom · Development; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The Kh-66 entered production for the MiG-21 in 1968, and the Kh-23 was certified for the MiG-23 'Flogger' in 1973.^[source]Kh-23 Grom · Operational history; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Kh-23M - improved Kh-23 with technology from the Kh-25 family^[source]Kh-23 Grom · Variants; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Nimrod has a semi-active laser guidance system that operates day or night. Its flight trajectory can be set below obscuring cloud layers, while a forward reconnaissance scout team uses a laser designator to direct it from up to 26 km (16 mi).^[source]Nimrod (missile) · Lead; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Nimrod allows a gunner to pre-select a flight trajectory mode. This can be direct trajectory, high cruise trajectory or low cruise trajectory , the cruise altitude being constant and between 300–1,500 m (980–4,920 ft).^[source]Nimrod (missile) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The gimballed and stabilised seeker head acquires, tracks and homes in on its target using localised proportional navigation. It is said to have a view angle of more than 30°. The seeker has a search area 5 km (3.1 mi) wide and deep. In the terminal flight phase, the weapon adopts a dive angle of approximately 45° to strike an armoured target on the thinner, more vulnerable upper surfaces.^[source]Nimrod (missile) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The missile is stored in a sealed canister which also acts as the launcher. Total weight of the missile and canister is 150 kg (330 lb). It has five main sections: seeker, guidance and control, warhead, solid-propellant rocket motor, and servo. It is roll-stabilised in flight. Time to come into action at a launch site is less than 3 minutes; there is no need to survey the site for alignment or levelling, nor does it require a direct line of sight to a target. The weapon can be fired in single-round, ripple, or salvo modes.^[source]Nimrod (missile) · Description; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Effective range : 300 - 36,000 meters

Israel^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 5, cell 2; revision 1349150138; retrieved 2026-10-02

• Reported operator · North Korea

• Reported operator · Israel
• Reported operator · Colombia