P-15 Termit
The P-15 Termit is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was Styx or SS-N-2. China acquired the design in 1958 and created at least four versions: the CSS-N-1 Scrubbrush and CSS-N-2 versions were developed for ship-launched operation, while the CSS-C-2 Silkworm and CSS-C-3 Seersucker were used for coastal defence. Other names for this basic type of missile include: HY-1, SY-1, and FL-1 Flying Dragon, North Korean local produced KN-1 or KN-01, derived from both Silkworm variants and Russian & USSR P-15, Rubezh, P-20 P-22.
Despite its large size, thousands of P-15s were built and installed on many classes of ships from missile boats/fast attack craft to destroyers, coastal batteries, and bomber aircraft.
Origins
The P-15 was not the first anti-ship missile in Soviet service; that distinction goes to the SS-N-1 Scrubber, and to the aircraft-launched AS-1 Kennel. The SS-N-1 was a powerful but rather raw system, and it was soon superseded by the SS-N-3 Shaddock. This weapon was fitted to 4,000-ton Kynda class cruisers and replaced an initial plan for 30,000-ton battlecruisers armed with and guns. Rather than rely on a few heavy and costly ships, a new weapons system was designed to fit smaller, more numerous vessels, while maintaining sufficient striking power. The P-15 was developed by the Soviet designer Beresyniak, who helped in the development of the BI rocket interceptor.Design
The first variant was the P-15, with fixed wings. The basic design of the missile, retained for all subsequent versions, featured a cylindrical body, a rounded nose, two delta wings in the center and three control surfaces in the tail. It was also fitted with a solid-fueled booster under the belly. This design was based on the Yak-1000 experimental fighter built in 1951.The weapon was meant to be cheap, yet still give an ordinary missile boat the same 'punch' as a battleship salvo. The onboard electronics were based on a simple analog design, with a homing conical scanning radar sensor. It used a more reliable rocket engine with acid fuel in preference to a turbojet.
Some shortcomings were never totally solved, due to the liquid propellant of the rocket engine: the acid fuel gradually corroded the missile fuselage. Launches were not possible outside a temperature range of.
The missile weighed around, had a top speed of Mach 0.9 and a range of. The explosive warhead was behind the fuel tank, and as the missile retained a large amount of unburned fuel at the time of impact, even at maximum range, it acted as an incendiary device.
The warhead was a shaped charge, an enlarged version of a high-explosive anti-tank warhead, larger than the semi-armour piercing warhead typical of anti-ship missiles. The launch was usually made with the help of electronic warfare support measures gear and Garpun radar at a range of between due to the limits of the targeting system. The Garpun's range against a destroyer was about.
The onboard sensor was activated at from impact, the missile would begin to descend at 1-2° to the target, because the flight pattern was about above sea level. In minimum range engagements there was the possibility of using active sensors at shorter distances, as little as.
The P-15U was introduced in 1965, with improved avionics and folding wings, enabling the use of smaller containers. It was replaced by the P-15M in 1972, which was a further development of the P-15U, with enhanced abilities.
Versions
Russia
In total, the P-15 family had the following models:- P-15: A basic with I-band, a conical search sensor and range.
- P-15M:, heavier and longer than the P-15, it had a range of and several minor improvements.
- P-15MC: Essentially a P-15M, coupled with a Bulgarian-made electronic countermeasure package for that country's navy.
- P-20: A P-15 updated with the new guidance system but with the original shorter range. They were perhaps known as SS-N-2B and used by Komar and Osa class boats.
- P-20K: A P-15M with a new guidance system.
- P-20M: A surface version of the P-20L with folding wings. This was the definitive version of the P-15M with radar guidance.
- P-22 other development of or along P-20; other variants P-21, P-27
- 4K51 Rubezh and 4K40, SS-N-2C SSC-3 Styx, using P-20 and P-22, Self-propelled missile
People's Republic of China
North Korea
- KN-1 or KN-01 locally produced Geum Seong-1 Korean 금성-1호, derived from both Silkworm and Russian P-15 Termit, Rubezh, P-20 P-22.
Iraq
- Faw-70: A locally built version of the P-20 or P-21 missile with a warhead, minimum range of and maximum range of. An autopilot guided the missile mid-course while the terminal phase guidance was either an active I-band radar or a passive infrared depending on the seeker head used.
- Faw-150: An improved version of the Faw-70, with an increased length from to and enlarged fuel tanks extending maximum range to.
- Faw-200: Another extended-range variant of the Faw-70 with a length of and a maximum range of.
Launch platforms
This missile, despite its mass, was used in small and medium ships, from 60 to 4,000 tons, shore batteries and aircraft and submarines. The main users were:- Komar-class missile boats
- Osa-class missile boats
- Vidyut class missile boat
- Chamak class missile boat
- Tarantul-class corvettes
- Veer Class Corvette
- Nanuchka-class corvettes
- Durg Class Corvettes
- Koni-class frigates
- Kotor-class frigates
- The frigate Mărășești
- Kildin-class destroyers
- Kashin-class destroyers
- Rajput Class destroyers
Operational usage
Cuban Missile Crisis
The first use of these weapons was in 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Komar-class missile boats were deployed in Operation "Anadyr", organized by the Soviet Union to help the Castro government. At least eight were sent in cargo ships, due partly to their small dimensions and were presumably left to the Cuban Navy after the crisis, together with many other weapons of Soviet origin.War of Attrition
During the War of Attrition, after the Six-Day War in 1967, the Israeli destroyer Eilat was sailing at low speed outside Port Said on 21 October. At a range of, she was attacked by two Egyptian Komars, acting as a coastal missile battery. Both fired their missiles from inside the harbour. Eilat was hit, despite defensive anti-aircraft fire. The first two missiles almost blew the Eilat in two; another hit soon after, and the last exploded near the wreck in the sea. Eilat sank two hours after the first attack. 47 crew were killed. The engagement fueled interest in both offensive weapons and defenses such as close-in weapon systems and electronic countermeasures.Indo-Pakistani War
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Indian Osa-class boats raided the port of Karachi in two highly successful operations causing severe damage and sinking several ships with their P-15s, among them the destroyer, Khaibar. She was a former Battle-class destroyer, originally designed as an anti-aircraft ship. Her armament might be effective against conventional air threats,, but had little chance against anti-ship missiles.These raids were meant to strike Karachi and destroy the Pakistani Navy in Western Pakistan. The first action, Operation Trident, was carried out by three Osa class missile boats on the night of 5 December. 'Operation Trident' involved:
- INS Nipat
- INS Nirghat
- INS Veer
During this action, Nipat attacked another two ships; the cargo vessel Venus Challenger, which was carrying ammunition from Saigon, was destroyed. Her escort, the destroyer PNS Shahjahan was severely damaged and later scrapped.
Veer then attacked Muhafiz at 23:05, ; she was hit and disintegrated, throwing most of the crew into the water before she sank.
Nipat fired two missiles at the port of Karachi. This is the first known use of an anti-ship missile against land targets. Large oil tanks, identified by radar, were hit by the first missile, destroying it, while the second weapon failed. Over the following nights there were other ship actions. Karachi was again attacked with missiles, while Petya-class frigates provided anti-submarine protection to the Osa-class boats.
On the night of 8 December, in the second operation, Operation Python, the Osa-class boat Vinash, escorted by two frigates, fired missiles at Karachi in a six-minute action. One missile hit an oil tank, destroying it. The British ship Harmattan was sunk, the Panamanian ship Gulfstar was set on fire. The Pakistan Navy fleet tanker, PNS Dacca, was badly damaged and only survived because the commanding officer, Captain. S.Q. Raza S.J. P.N., ordered the release of steam in the pipes that prevented the fire reaching the tanks. Though anti-aircraft guns opened fire in response, they only managed to hit a Greek ship, Zoë, that was moored in the port and consequently sank.
In all these actions against large ships, the P-15 proved to be an effective weapon, with a devastating warhead. Out of eleven missiles fired, only one malfunctioned, giving a 91% success rate. This gave every Osa the ability to strike several targets. Big ships, without any specialized defence, were targets for P-15s.