Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
February 11, 2012
IWG Report 2009
Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
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SS-N-22
| Country: | Russian Federation |
|---|---|
| Alternate Name: | Sunburn, 3M80/270 Zubr, 3M82/P-270 Moskit |
| Class: | S/L/ALCM |
| Target: | Ship |
| Length: | 9.39 m |
| Diameter: | 0.76 m |
| Wingspan: | 2.10 m |
| Launch Weight: | 3950.00 kg |
| Payload: | 300-320 kg HE; 200 kT nuclear |
| Propulsion: | Ramjet w/ solid booster |
| Range: | 90-160 km |
| Guidance: | INS, datalink, active and passive radar |
| Status: | Operational |
| In Service: | 1980-Present |
| Associated Country: | China |
| Exported: | Iran, China |
Details
The SS-N-22 “Sunburn” is a short-range, ship-launched, ramjet-powered, single-warhead, surface-to-surface, anti-ship cruise missile developed and manufactured by Russia.
Russia began to develop the SS-N-22 in the early 1970s as a replacement for the ship-launched SS-N-9 “Siren” cruise missile. The SS-N-22 was designed specifically as a supersonic weapon that could defeat U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Three versions currently exist, the 3M80 (P-80 Zubr), the longer range 3M82 (P-270 Moskit), and the joint Chinese/Russian upgrade to the P-270 (called 3M82MBE in Russia or Fu-Feng-1 in China).
The 3M80 is 9.39 m in length, has a body diameter of 0.76 m, and a launch weight of 3,950 kg. It is guided by an inertial navigation system (INS) with command updates in the midcourse phase, and by an active/passive radar in the terminal phase. Sources indicate that the missile can make evasive maneuvers during the terminal phase, to avoid defensive missile and gun systems. The 3M80 is powered by a solid propellant boost motor and a ramjet engine. It has a high level cruise speed of Mach 2.5, a low level cruise speed of Mach 2.1, has a maximum range of 90 km, and carries a 300 kg high explosive semi-armor piercing or 200 kiloton nuclear warhead.
Reports indicate that the 3M80 entered service with Russian Navy in 1980 and is deployed on “Sovremenny” (Project 956) and “Udaloy 2” (Project 1155.1) class destroyers, “Tarantul 3” (Project 1241.1) class missile corvettes, and “Dergach” (Project 1239) class fast attack craft.
In 1992, Russia began developing an improved version known as the 3M82 (P-270 Moskit). The 3M82 is 9.74 m in length, has a body diameter of 0.76 m, and has a launch weight of 4,500 kg. It has an extended range of 160 km, and carries an improved 320 kg high explosive semi-armor piercing. The 3M82 is believed to have entered service in 1993, and is no longer in production. A related air-launched version has been offered for export under the Russian designation Kh-41.
A report in 2001 suggested that a joint program between Russia and China was seeking to upgrade the 3M82 (P-270 Moskit). Subsequent reports have maintained that this upgraded version, known as 3M82MBE in Russia and either Fu-Feng-1 or Ju Lang-9 in China, has a range of 240 km. Chinese manufacturers are now building one or several varieties of the SS-N-22 under license. The status of 3M82 upgrades is unknown.
In 1995, a ground-launched coastal defense version of the SS-N-22 known as the 3M80E was announced, which deployed two or three missiles per launch vehicle. In 1998, a low cost improvement was proposed for the 3M80 version, increasing the range to 150 km. A further range increase of 200 km was proposed by adding an extra fuel tank.
The SS-N-22 poses a unique threat to the US Navy. The missile was designed to beat Aegis-type anti-missile systems, and it may prove up to the challenge. A targeted ship would likely have less than two minutes to respond if a SS-N-22 missile were fired at it. Supposing that the targeted ship was able to counterattack with an anti-missile Standard Missile, a late interception could produce a lethal amount of fire and shrapnel. The SS-N-22 is a fairly large cruise missile by modern standards, weighing in at nearly 3 times the weight of the US-built Tomahawk missile. It also travels at more than twice the speed of the Tomahawk. The combined speed and weight of the missile give it a terminal momentum equivalent to a fully-loaded semi-truck/trailer travelling at about 200 miles per hour. Traveling with such great momentum, the missile might be able to destroy a ship even if its warhead failed to detonate. The US Navy considered purchasing 3M82 version SS-N-22 missiles as targets for its Aegis anti-missile system in 1999, but no purchase has been reported.
Use of the original 3M80 version of the SS-N-22 began in the Russian Navy in 1980. Reports suggested that some of the 3M80 versions were transferred to Ukraine, but those reports are now believed to have been in error. In 1993 Russia sold some 3M80 missiles to Iran as coastal defense weapons. Subsequent sales of the 3M82 version may have been made to Iran, as a picture in 2006 appeared to show this missile being fired from an Iranian frigate. China negotiated for 50 3M82 missiles in 1997 along with their purchase of Russian-built Sovremenny-class destroyers (the ship platform for the missile). A joint program between Russia and China has sought to create an upgraded version of the 3M82 missile and it is believed that may have China received some of these new missiles in 2006.
In 1996 it was believed that Russia had about 450 SS-N-22 missiles (of all versions) in service. By 2007 that number was believed to have dropped to around 220 missiles.(1)
Footnotes
