Russian air forces have put the advanced short-range X-38 air-to-surface missile into service in late December. The missile is intended for T-50 fighter, Izvestiya reports.

«The missile was being tested in great secrecy during the whole 2012. The first batch of missiles will be delivered soon. First of all Su-34 bombers and MiG-29SMT fighters will be equipped with these missiles. After that Su-35S and Su-30 fighters will also be armed with X-38s», - a source from the Supreme Command said.

X-38 was developed by Tactical Missiles Corporation headquartered in Korolev (Moscow Region). Themissile’sdevelopmentwasstartedin1990s. It has some features, which afford ground for calling it the next-generation weapon.

Firstly, this missile has great flexibility – it may be equipped with different homing heads and warheads. Secondly, it has folding wings, which allow placing it inside the internal compartments.

One of the X-38’s modifications will be able to orientate itself in flight using GLONASS system. GPS/GLONASS systems are also used for guidance of American JDAM and Russian KAB-E bombs. Now Russia has the missile with satellite homing, the source noted.

Another source close to the military-industrial sector added that besides GLONASS, versions of X-38 are equipped with radar homing seeker, laser homing head and imaging infrared seeker.

X-38 is able to hit maneuvering armored vehicles and hideouts at the distance from 3 to 40 km. Its warhead weight is 250 kg.