P-120/P-50 Malakhit (NATO reporting name: SS-N-9 'Siren') |
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P-120 Malakhit medium range cruise missile
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Type | Anti-shipping missile |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1972–current |
Used by | Russia |
Production history | |
Designer | Zvezda |
Manufacturer | OKB-52 MAP (later NPO Mashinostroyeniye) |
Specifications | |
Weight | 3,180 kg (7,010 lb) |
Length | 8.84 m (29.0 ft) |
Diameter | 76.2 cm (30.0 in) |
Warhead | HE-SAP or 200 kt nuclear |
Warhead weight | total 840 kg (1,850 lb) HE 500 kg/1102 lb |
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Wingspan | 2.1 m (6.9 ft) |
Propellant | Turbojet, solid fuel |
Operational
range |
Sub launched conventional warhead: 70 km nuclear warhead: 110 km Ship launched conventional warhead 120 km nuclear warhead: 150(160) km |
Speed | Mach 0.9 |
Launch
platform |
Nanuchka and Sarancha, Charlie-II and Papa classes |
Sub launched conventional warhead: 70 km nuclear warhead: 110 km
The P-120 Malakhit (Russian: П-120 «Малахит» 'Malachite'; NATO reporting name: SS-N-9 Siren, GRAU designation: 4K85) is a Russian medium range anti-ship missile used by corvettes and submarines. Introduced in 1972, it remains in service but has been superseded by the SS-N-22 Sunburn.
The Echo class submarine required the submarine to spend 30 minutes or more on the surface when firing its P-5 Pyatyorka (SS-N-3A 'Shaddock') missiles. This made the submarine very vulnerable to enemy attack, so in 1963 the Soviets started work on a new missile that could be fired whilst submerged, and a submarine to carry it. These became the P-50 Malakhit and Charlie class submarine. The P-50 was replaced by the P-120 design during development.
However, problems in development meant that the twelve Charlie I submarines were built with the shorter-ranged P-70 Ametist (SS-N-7 'Starbright', an evolution of the SS-N-2C 'Styx') as a stopgap before the introduction of the P-120 Malakhit on the Charlie II.
The P-120 missile was later used as the basis for the SS-N-14 Silex rocket-propelled torpedo.
The L band seeker and radar altimeter originally designed for the 'Siren' were first used on the 'Starbright' whilst the Soviets sorted out the P-120's troublesome engines. However the 'Siren' has space for datalink equipment, allowing mid-course guidance from the launch platform or something else. When fired from a submarine, the missile can be launched at a maximum depth of 50 meters.
The 'Siren' entered service on corvettes of the Soviet Navy on March 17, 1972. It would be installed on Nanuchka-class corvettes. About 500 missiles were produced.