OVERVIEW: The AS‑22 Kluge (Kh‑555 decoy) is an inert, air‑launched cruise missile variant used as a decoy to simulate live Kh‑555 threats and overwhelm enemy air-defense systems. It retains the flight profile and radar/infrared signature of the Kh‑555 without carrying a warhead.

DETAILS: AS stands for Air‑launched Stand‑in; the NATO name “Kluge” corresponds to the Kh‑555 cruise missile. This variant is a repurposed Kh‑555 airframe—developed from earlier Kh‑55 designs—with inert or dummy payloads to imitate genuine strikes. It employs the same R95‑300 turbofan and avionics, sustaining Mach 0.6–0.7 cruise speed over ~2 000 km range. Its primary role is as a sacrificial decoy in saturation attacks, prompting defenders to expend valuable interceptors on non‑lethal targets.

FUNCTION: After release from Tu‑95MS or Tu‑160 bombers, the AS‑22 flies pre‑programmed waypoints mimicking Kh‑555 trajectories, emitting realistic radar/IR signatures. This deception forces enemy air defense to engage, depleting interceptors and exposing defenses to follow‑on live threats.

NOTE:
IOC: Kh‑555 baseline ~2006; decoy use reported ~2022–2023
Operators: Russia
Platforms: Tu‑95MS; Tu‑160 (inferred from Kh‑555 deployment info) 
Conflict used in: Russo‑Ukrainian War (~Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023)

SOURCE: Institute for the Study of War: https://www.understandingwar.org/press-analysis/russian-cruise-decoy-use ; Armed Conflicts Kh‑555 profile: bastion‑opk.ru ; New Voice of Ukraine missile analysis https://english.nv.ua/nation/the-structure-of-russia-precision-missiles-and-how-to-counter-this-weaponry-50386566.html ; Defense Express Kh‑55 decoy report https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/kh_55_missile_found_in_kyiv_sheds_light_on_russian_tactics‑behind_november_28_attack-12687.html