Kaliningrad K-5

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	Weapon: Kaliningrad K-5 Type: Air-to-Air Missile Country of Origin: USSR Year Adopted: 1957 Overall Length (mm): 2900.0 Overall Length (in): 114.17 Weight (kg): 82.00 Weight (pounds): 180.78

The Kaliningrad K-5, also known by its NATO designation AA-1 "Alkali," was the Soviet Union's first operational air-to-air missile, developed in the early 1950s by the Kaliningrad Machine-Building Plant (later known as Fakel). Based heavily on German wartime research into guided weapons, the K-5 used beam-riding guidance, requiring the launching aircraft to keep its radar locked on the target throughout the missile's flight. This design limited its effectiveness but marked a significant step forward for Soviet air combat capabilities during the early Cold War. The missile was relatively small, featuring a simple cylindrical body with mid-mounted delta wings and rear control surfaces.

Entering service in 1957, the K-5 was mass-produced and deployed on a wide range of Soviet interceptors, including the MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, and the Sukhoi Su-9. Tens of thousands of K-5 missiles were manufactured through the late 1950s and early 1960s, reflecting the Soviet emphasis on missile-armed interceptors as the future of aerial combat. However, the beam-riding guidance system imposed strict limitations on maneuverability and engagement envelopes, making the K-5 less effective in real combat scenarios compared to newer infrared- and radar-guided designs that soon followed.

The K-5 gained notoriety not for its battlefield success, but rather as an early symbol of the rapid missile revolution in aerial warfare. While it was widely deployed across the Soviet Union and exported to Warsaw Pact and allied nations, it had little documented combat effectiveness and was quickly rendered obsolete by advances in missile technology. By the mid-1960s, it was phased out in favor of more advanced designs like the K-13 (AA-2 "Atoll"). Nonetheless, the K-5 played a critical role in introducing Soviet pilots and aircraft designers to guided missile operations, serving as an important stepping stone in the evolution of modern Soviet and Russian air-to-air weaponry.

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