ML has a straight looking seeker
MT seeker is angled downwards:
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even if its an mt, it would be the only ever picture of an mt we have seen other than a mockup, which should lead to the very real possibility of it being non functional.
if it was in context of a very new missile i wouldnt be saying that, kh38 family isnt new though
This might explain a few things actually.
- Why we’ve only seen the laser variant in combat use (or really, in general until the brochure was posted)
- Why the claimed hit percentage under ideal conditions is so bad (80% probability of hit in ideal conditions is horrid)
- The unofficial russian blog claims of the poor SEP (and it being accounted for by the large warhead.)
Its possible that the IR seeker is not really capable enough to offer any advantage over a laser seeker when drone laser designation is so prevalent anyways. May also suggest the the original point of inquiry I had on the missile (its potential inability to hit moving tank sized targets) might actually be accurate.
Unfortunately, I dont know enough about IR seekers to really comment on that point.
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all of the pictures we have of the ML are from a certain recent conflict and as far as i know there are no pictures of the ML that arent from Ukraine or a mock up
its the first major conflict it has been involved in. i think this supports my point that the missile shouldnt be in the game fairly well.
that isnt point of this thread
Like I said, I have my doubts and am now on the fence on the subject. Theres stuff about the brochure that bug me, to the point of suspecting it may be a fabrication, but I really don’t have any definitive counterpoint to it atm.
I’ve always tried to keep this thread as objective and fair to both sides as possible. I’m not about to stoop to the level of the pro-russian players that have been claiming the missile existed without any solid evidence of their own since the thread was made and handwave the new info thats been provided just because I dont think the Kh-38MT is healthy for the game.
“kh-38mt may not actually exist.”
sure thats the thread name, and if we’re gonna limit ourselves to wether it exist irl that is also pretty dubious, its a fair guess prototypes exist, some sort of seeker exists, but a prototype isnt the same as a production weapon, there is no proof it ever done any flying at all. all the proof is a single picture.
a prototype is good enough for gaijin
SRAAM
Ostwind 2
XM246
Ho-Ri Prototype
CLOVIS
i think thats enough examples
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such a false comparison, ostwind 2 and ho ri are essentially fictional and imo shouldnt even be ingame
sraam
xm246
clovis
we have quite a bit of evidence about and we know for a effect they underwent testing
They pulled the zoom from Kh-29T
how about 5x and gen 1 like the 65d
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They state the same 80%/60% (with/without countermeasures) Pk for all 4 variants and in old and new brochures, so I wouldn’t buy too much into it …
More of a “don’t blame us if you launched one and it didn’t hit (close enough)”
The numbers probably stem from project requirements …
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eh 65D is like 7.9x sth
and iirc 65D should have 780x780 pixel resolution but gaijin modeled it as 500x300(bummer)
kh-38mt is obviously bigger and say lets not doubt the ruski and treat them fair
id say its gen 2 and 15x zoom is fair enough since they are “new” to the IR game
its not
in game it is 4.92x
yeah but they all underwent testing
especially the amerikan
damn
Who TF knows?? At this point you either have to bring one here or convince a VVS depot officer to take a picture of the missile/bring out a GRAU entry for KH-38MT. That picture looks like a deliberate attempt of obfuscation rather than a proof of existence. If they lie about how good MiG-25 is why would they not lie about MT existing?
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When the MiG-25 was first detected in the late 1960s, Western intelligence—especially the U.S.—was alarmed:
- It was fast (clocked on radar at speeds over Mach 2.8–3.2).
- It flew extremely high (above 70,000 feet).
- It was large, suggesting powerful radar and fuel capacity.
U.S. analysts believed the MiG-25 might be a superfighter that could outperform the F-4 Phantom and the upcoming F-15. and a potential air superiority threat designed to destroy U.S. bombers and dominate dogfights.
This led to panic in U.S. defense circles and directly influenced the development of the F-15 Eagle, which was designed specifically to counter what was thought to be a very advanced Soviet fighter.
The truth was revealed in 1976, when Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko defected to Japan in his MiG-25P.
Upon inspection, the West discovered:
-The MiG-25 was made largely of steel, not titanium—because it needed to withstand extreme heat at high speeds but not maneuver at high g-forces.
-It had terrible maneuverability—not a dogfighter at all.
-Its radar was powerful, but used vacuum tubes, making it outdated by Western standards (but resistant to EMP).
-Its range was limited, and it was not as sophisticated as feared.
In essence, it was a high-speed interceptor, meant to shoot down high-altitude bombers (like the B-70 Valkyrie or SR-71).
The Soviets didn’t lie, but they did benefit from the ambiguity. They didn’t clarify its role or limitations, and they likely knew Western analysts were overestimating it. It was more about secrecy and misinterpretation than active disinformation.
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