Can NASAMS in Ukraine Stop Russia's Kh-32 Air-to-Ground Missiles?

Ahead of the NASAMS air defense systems deployment in Ukraine, pro-Kremlin media has revealed that Russia recently used one of its most potent weapons, the air-to-ground Kh-32 missile to hit at infrastructure targets of its neighbour.

Launched from Tu-22M3 long range bombers, the Kh-32 is said to been used in attacks on Ukraine during the past fortnight that left Kyiv and a number of cities without power for days.

"The Tu-22M3 bombers had earlier underwent the necessary modifications to carry the Kh-32 missiles. The targets for the missiles are ground objects of the Ukrainian military infrastructure. These launches fully confirmed the high accuracy and effectiveness of the missiles used, and also showed their ability to hit ground targets. At the same time, not a single missile was intercepted by the enemy's air defense," Topwar.ru reported quoting Russian sources.

The Ukrainian ministry of defense which is often quick to report the interception of missiles and aircraft, has not reported any of the long range Kh-32 Russian missiles being shot down during the period of recent intensified attacks.

Unofficial information says that the KH-32 missile is capable of speeds up to 4-5 Mach, climb to an altitude of 30 km and a range of 1000 km. Different flight profiles are provided for hitting different targets. The missile uses a new active-passive seeker operating on multiple frequencies to provide resistance against jamming.

Can NASAMS’ AMRAAM-ER missile take down the Kh-32?

However, its free run over Ukraine may be question as the NASAMS are expected to come equipped with the AMRAAM-Extended Range (ER) missiles, specially designed for ground-based air defense such as the NASAMS.

According to Raytheon information, the AMRAAM-ER will intercept targets at longer distances and higher altitudes. The first AMRAAM-ER missile flight test was successfully completed in the second quarter of 2021. Production deliveries are expected in 2022. While there is no official information whether the AMRAAM -ER missile will come with the NASAMS supplied to Ukraine, Kyiv has been demanding weapons to end the air-dominance of Russia.

The Kh-32's Achilles heel is the time the relatively large missile takes to reach its 30-40 height from which its screams down on its target at speeds exceeding Mach 4. The ascend phase is when defensive systems can track and shoot it down. Can the NASAMS do that?