P-700 3M-45 Granat

From Citizendium
Revision as of 21:35, 23 June 2009 by imported>Howard C. Berkowitz
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is developing and not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

An extremely powerful anti-shipping missile developed by the Soviet Union and continuing in service on Russian Federation vessels, the P-700 3M-45 Granat (NATO designation SS-N-19 SHIPWRECK) has unusually long range, at least 550 km (300 nm). They are carried by Admiral Ushakov-class (formerly Kirov-class) large cruisers and OSCAR-class cruise missile submarines. They have either a 750 kg high-explosive or 500 KT nuclear warhead.

While it is fairly certain they have active radar terminal seekers, there is substantial speculation on midcourse guidance for the missiles, which typically would be launched at over-the-horizon range. They may be able to take midcourse guidance from aircraft, satellites or submarines.

They also may use a "pack" group guidance method, where one flies high and uses search radar, sending refined target information to the other missiles launched with it, flying at low altitude below the defensive radar horizon. If the high missile is destroyed, another will climb to take its place. It is possible that the high missile transmits its information back to the launching platform, which can reallocate targets; the known platforms all do have satellite communicatiosn.