Kh-56 Air-to-Surface Missile

[Vasily41]

In Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon’s book, Soviet Secret Projects: Bombers Since 1945, there is a tactical strike aircraft called the T-58M from the mid-1960s. It states that the planned armament for it was two Kh-24 missiles, which was basically an early development of the Kh-58 “Kilter”, and two Kh-56 air-to-surface missiles. I have not seen nor heard any account of the Kh-56 outside of Tony’s book despite my numerous searching for it. Is there any information out there about this missile?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Pretty sure it was Kh-58 for T-58M. Typo?

 

[Vasily41]

Pretty sure it was Kh-58 for T-58M. Typo?

Edit: the Kh-24 is an early Kh-58.

Maybe, but it wouldn’t make very much sense to have two of the same missile stated in different designations.

 

[Vasily41]

Maybe it could be this thing? But that looks more like a drop tank.

 

[iverson]

Maybe it could be this thing? But that looks more like a drop tank.

I think that it is a rough sketch of a free-fall, tactical nuclear bomb, carried alongside a fuel tank, as on the Su-7.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The T-58M is just an early designation for the Su-24, and this is an early configuration of it. This drawing is from the Bastion Bombers (Vol 2) book published in Russian - there, the early T-58M is mentioned as carrying Kh-24 ASM and unguided rockets from 57mm to 240mm. No mention of a Kh-56. Not sure what Yefim's source is for that.