SS-N-27 Sizzler/Klub missile

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SS-N-27 Sizzler



- 3M-54E 3M-54E1 3M-14E 91RE1 91RE2
Length [m] 8.22 6.2 6.2 8.0 6.5
Diameter [m] 0.533 0.533 0.533 0.533 0.533
Launch Weight [kg] 2,300 1,780 1,780 2,050 1,300
Maximum Range [km] 220 300 300 50 40
Speed [Mach] Depends on flight mode
Subsonic Mode: Mach 0.6 - 0.8, Supersonic Mode: Mach 2.9 0.6 - 0.8
Terminal Stage Speed for the 3M-54E1 0.6 - 0.8
Terminal Stage Speed for the 3M-14E 2.5
Ballistic Stage Speed for the 91RE1 2.0
Ballistic Stage Speed for the 91RE2
Warhead Weight [kg] 200 400 400 76 76
Control System Inertial + Active Radar Homing Inertial + Active Radar Homing Inertial Inertial Inertial
Flight Path Low-Flying Low-Flying Ballistic Ballistic Ballistic

The Club missile system is designed to destroy submarine and surface vessels and also engage static/slow-moving targets, whose co-ordinates are known in advance, even if these targets are protected by active defences and electronic countermeasures.

There are two 'known' modifications of the system; Club-S (for submarines) and Club-N (for surface vessels). The Club-N can be installed in vertical launch cells or in angled missile boxes. Both systems are based on common hardware, the only difference being the design of the missile launchers and missile transport-launching containers.

Five types of missiles - 3M-54E, 3M-54E1, 3M-14E, 91RE1 and 91RE2 - have been developed for the Club ASCM. The Club-S can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE1 anti-submarine torpedo. The Club-N can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE2 anti-submarine torpedo.

The missile is 6.2 meters long, which is the same as the length of the standard torpedo tubes used by Western navies. It is designed according to the double-stage cruise scheme. The first solid-fuel stage ensures the missile's launch from a universal vertical launcher of a surface craft or from a submarine torpedo tube with a diameter of 0.533 meters.

The 3M-54E missile has a range of 300 km. For the majority of its trajectory it flies at a high subsonic speed. The first stage drops off when the missile reaches the prescribed altitude and its second stage sustainer engine goes into action. This is the time when the missile's wing and tail assembly unfold. The altitude of its flight goes down to 10-15 metres above the sea surface and the missile heads towards the target in accordance with the target designations, fed before the start into the memory of its board guidance system. The targeting on the cruise sector of the trajectory is effected by an inertia navigation system. The end sector of the missile's flight with the homing head active proceeds only five metres above the water surface. At 60 km from its target the third, solid-fuel stage separates from the missile, accelerates to supersonic speed and overcomes the defence zone of the target vessel.

In spite of its relatively small launch weight of 1,570 kilograms, the missile has a range of 300 kilometres and a powerful 450-kilogram warhead, which can blow up very large surface craft. The missile's moderate weight allows even warships with a small displacement to take aboard quite a few of such deadly weapons.

India is making substantial purchases of the Novator 3M-54 Alfa missile to equip Kilo class submarines and its new frigates. The first two Indian 877YeKM submarines (Kilo class, according to NATO classification) will be armed with the latest Russian 3M-54E antiship cruise missiles. These missiles will also be fitted onto three frigates which are being built to order for the Indian navy at the Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg. Each of the frigates will carry eight antiship missiles which will be launched from vertical launch containers on the bow of the ship.

It is believed that an air-launched variant will be purchased to arm the Tu-142s currently in service and the six to eight additional aircraft being sought by the Navy. If an air-launched version of the Alfa is procured, it is anticipated that India's Tu-22M3s will eventually be equipped to fire them.

The Klub-S is launched from a torpedo tube while the Klub-N is fired from a 533mm vertical-launch tube. The sub- and ship-launched varieties differ in booster type. There are five types of Klub. Two come in three-stage "long" versions and are about 8 m long. They fit into Russian torpedo tubes but do not fit the standard Western 533 mm tubes, which are usually only 6.5 m long. This means that all five types can be used in Russian-built subs, whereas Western subs can only use the three "short" types.
The supersonic 91RE1 (long) and 91RE2 (short) types are anti-submarine missiles, armed with a 324mm self-homing torpedo. Both types go ballistic after launch, directed to the target area via INS. Their ranges are 50 and 40 km, respectively. The subsonic 3M14 (NATO: SS-N-30), is a land-attack cruise missile, with a range of 300 km. It has an integrated INS/GLONASS mid-course navigation system and a Scene Matching Area Correlator seeker (it is similar technology to the DSMAC in the U.S. BGM-109 Tomahawk)
The last two types are anti-ship missiles. The 3M54 (or 3M54E in the export version) long missile is a supersonic, three-stage missile. The first stage is a booster, while the second is a winged cruise stage. It can be launched vertically, from an angled launcher, or from a torpedo tube. At an altitude of up to 150 m the solid-propellant booster is jettisoned, and the under-fuselage air intake is extended. The turbojet sustainer engine is started, and at the same time, the wings and tail surfaces are extended. The missile transitions to cruise mode and descends to its cruising altitude of 10 to 15 m above sea level. At a distance of about 30 to 40 km from the target, the missile climbs to a higher altitude and activates its ARGS-54 active radar seeker. After the target is located and the INS updated, at about 20 km from the target, the terminal (third) stage separates. The missile accelerates to supersonic speed (Mach 2.9) and attacks using the ARGS-54 active/passive seeker to guide the diving missile. For the last 15-20 km, the missile descends to 3-5 m above the wave tops, with some loss of speed. The ARGS-54 was developed by Radar MMS, of St. Petersburg. It can detect targets from 60 km, at a 45-degree angle. The warhead of the supersonic 3M54E is a penetration type, weighing 200 kg. The missile has low radar signature and could be covered in RAMs. High speed and maneuvers increase its penetration capabilities. The missile's range is 220 km.
The 3M54E1 version is designed for export only. It is a short, subsonic version of the 3M54E. The ARGS-54 seeker is mounted directly in the second stage, along with the 400 kg warhead. It flies at Mach 0.6-0.8 at about 150 m in altitude initially, descending to 15 m. At about 40-50 km from the programmed target, the missile climbs again to locate the target itself. Having done so, it descends
again to a very low (3-5 m over smooth sea and 5-10 m over rrough sea) altitude. The seeker is activated again for terminal engagement during the last 20-30 km. The missile's range is 300 km.
The Klub family has not yet been accepted into Russian service but has already been exported. Eight vertical launchers are mounted on three Indian Talwar-class frigates, built in Russia. It will probably be accepted into service with Lada-class submarines built for the Russian Navy and possibly also for the Amur version for the Indian Navy. The submarine would carry up to 18 torpedoes and Klub-S missiles in various combinations and would have six torpedo launchers. The first sub of the class for the Russian Navy, the St. Petersburg , was laid down in December 1997. The first export version was also laid down in the same month and was named the Amur .
Interestingly, the Klub system is also to be used by Yaseni-class submarines (NATO: Granay), along with the 24 launchers for the Oniks system. The Klub-S is to be fired from 533 mm torpedo tubes (the ship also has 650 mm torpedo tubes).

The development of the Klub started in the late 1980s. The current family, commonly referred to as the 3M54 Klub, includes the submarine-launched Klub-S and ship-launched Klub-N groups. The Klub-S is launched from a torpedo tube, while the Klub-N is fired from a 533 mm vertical-launch tube. The sub- and ship-launched varieties differ in booster type. There are five types of Klub. Two come in three-stage "long" versions and are about 8.2 m long. They fit into Russian torpedo tubes but do not fit the standard Western 533 mm tubes, which are usually only 6.5 m long. This means that all five types can be used in Russian-built subs, whereas Western subs can only use the three "short" types.
The supersonic 91RE1 (long) and 91RE2 (short) types are anti-submarine missiles, armed with a 324mm self-homing torpedo. The subsonic 3M14 (short) is a land-attack cruise missile, with a range of 300 km. The 3M54 (3M54E in the export version) (long) missile is a supersonic, three-stage anti-ship missile. The first stage is a booster, while the second is a winged cruise stage. It can be launched vertically, from an angled launcher, or from a torpedo tube. The missile transitions to cruise mode and descends to its cruising altitude of 10 to 15 m above sea level. At a distance of about 30 to 40 km from the target, the missile climbs to a higher altitude and activates its ARGS-54 active radar seeker. After the target is located and the INS updated, at about 20 km from the target, the terminal (third) stage separates. The missile then accelerates to supersonic speed (Mach 2.9) and attacks using the ARGS-54 active/passive seeker to guide the diving missile. For the last 15-20 km, the missile descends to 3-5 m above the wave tops, with some loss of speed. The 3M54E1 version is designed for export only. It is a short, subsonic version of the 3M54E. The ARGS-54 seeker is mounted directly in the second stage, along with the 400 kg warhead. The missile's range is 300 km.

91RE1 AND 91RE2 ANTISUBMARINE MISSILES ( Klub-N/S)
Length, m 8.0 6.5
Diameter, m 0.533 0.533
Firing range up to 50 up to 40
Weight, kg:
launch 2,050 1,300
warhead 76 76
Flight speed, M up to 2.5 up to 2.0
Guidance system inertial
Trajectory ballistic

The missiles are intended to engage submarines of the
enemy. The 91RE1 missile is fired from submarine torpedo tubes.
The 91RE2 missile is fired from unified vertical launchers of surface ships.
They have no equivalents.

91RE1 / 91RE2 (SS-N-27 Sizzler)

The 91RE1 (Klub-S) and 91RE2 (Klub-N) anti-submarine torpedoes, use a separating underwater missile with a hydro-acoustic seeker and have been designed to destroy submarines. They differ only in their booster configuration. In the Klub-S, the missiles are launched from the submarine's torpedo tubes, while the Klub-N uses ship-mounted launchers and so can fire in any direction. Both variants use a rocket-booster to reach the designated target area. This considerably extends the target-engagement range in comparison to a conventional torpedo. In the case of the 91RE2 variant, it allows surface vessels to create a far larger defensive perimeter against submarine threats. The 91RE2 weights 1200 kg and has a maximum range of 40 km. The 91RE1 variant allows the launch submarine to engage the target submarine much earlier than a conventional tube-launched torpedo. The 91RE1, is designed to be launched from a 533mm torpedo tube at depths of up to 150 meters while the launch submarine is traveling at up to 15 knots. The missile weighs a total of 2050 kg. At the maximum launch depth, target engagement can be at a range of up to 50 km.
The 91RE1 and 91RE2 anti-submarine missile have a largely ballistic flight profile. The maximum velocity indicated in the table below relates to the ballistic phase, and not the speed at which the weapon emerges from the torpedo tubes or re-enters the water! The missile continues to accelerate during its burn, until the motor cuts out and it coasts to the top of its trajectory. The APR-3 torpedo payload is released and a parachute is deployed to reduce velocity and prevent break up on splash down, upon which the torpedo engages the target submarine.

3M54E1 / 3M54E1 (SS-N-27 Sizzler)

The 3M54E three-stage anti-ship missile consists of a booster, a subsonic cruise low-flying sustainer stage and a low-flying supersonic terminal stage. For surface vessels of smaller displacement or with shortened torpedo launchers, the system uses the 3M54E1 anti-ship missile, which has a booster and a subsonic cruise sustainer stage, but carries a heavier warhead than the 3M54E missile. After launch from either a vertical or angled deck-mounted launcher or from a submarine torpedo tube, the 3M54E and 3M54E1 follow similar trajectories. At an altitude of up to 150 metres, the solid-propellant booster is jettisoned, the under-fuselage air intake is extended, and the air-breathing sustainer engine is started. At the same time the wings and tail surfaces are extended, and the weapon descends to its cruising altitude of 10 to 15 metres above sea level. At a distance of up to 30 to 40 km from the target, the missile climbs to higher altitude and activates its ARGS-54 active homing radar seeker.

Developed by the Radar-MMS company of St. Petersburg, the ARGS-54 seeker has a maximum operational range of 60 km. As the missile continues towards the target at subsonic speed, the seeker scans from +45? to -45? in azimuth, and from and +10? to -20? in elevation. The ARGS-54 is 70 cm long, 42 cm in diameter, and weighs 40 kg without the radome. It can operate in precipitation conditions of up to 4mm/sec and in heavy sea conditions of up to sea state 6. After the target is detected and the seeker has locked on, the 3M54E1 flies on at high subsonic speed to destroy the target. The 3M54E, on the other hand, reaches its target in a different manner. At 20 km from the target, the 3M54E's supersonic solid rocket-powered third-stage terminal 'dart' separates from the missile, descends to 3 to 5 metres above sea level and accelerates to a supersonic speed of Mach 2.9 in a zigzagging terminal run to hit its target. On the one hand helps in penetration of the enemy ship's air defenses, but on the other hand, due the high velocity the missile to become aerodynamically heated, giving it a relatively high infrared signature.
A universal FCS is used to plan the flight mission, upload this to the missile, and conduct pre-launch preparations. Both versions use a common shore-based system for planned inspection and maintenance of the missiles. Since the different types of missile are compatible with a common shipboard system, the user can load the vessel with whatever mix of weapons is best suited to the planned mission. An un-named official with the Novotar Design Bureau, when describing the 3M54E variant, said "The Alfa combines aspects of the U.S. Harpoon and French Exocet besides the U.S. Tomahawk. This configuration offers speed, better fuel economy and a greater accuracy rate than the current Western missiles. Once launched from ship, submarine or aircraft, the 1.5 ton missile cruises at subsonic speed 4.5 meters above the sea to evade radar."

Both the 3M54E1 and 3M54E are small weapons which are difficult to detect on radar, especially should even basic radar signature reduction techniques be applied to them. The use of a bandpass radome and minimal absorbent coatings could push the weapon's head on radar cross section down to that of a large grapefruit.

The official adds, "At around 40 miles to its approach to the target, the forward section of the missile separates and ignites a solid booster, which rockets the missile to a supersonic speed of Mach 2.9. The purpose of this is to defeat current anti-missile systems with the Alfa missile's sheer speed. By the time the missile is within enemy radar range, it is already doing Mach 2.9. Within seconds it will be upon its target, even before existing anti-missile systems can fire their engines. Its ability to attack land targets is enhanced by a new homing and guidance system that put it in the Tomahawk league." The Klub presents new challenges to Western defenses like Phalanx CIWS and Aegis currently found aboard many Western-built naval vessels. The Klub-S ASCM is planned to be incorporated into Russia's next generation Amur Class submarine, reportedly of which the first vessel is being built for the Indian Navy. However, that is yet to be confirmed from reliable sources.

3M14E (SS-N-30)

Russian Designation
3M14E / P-900 Kalibr
3M14EE/TE / P-900 Kalibr
NATO / DoD Designation
SS-N-30
Type
Land-attack cruise-missile
Guidance
Inertial / GLONASS plus image Correlation
Warhead
400kg HE
FRAG-HE or submunitions
Propulsion
Solid-rocket booster and turbojet sustainer
Range
275 km
Speed
Mach 0.6-0.8
Length
6.20 m
8.20 m
Body Diameter
533 mm
645 mm
Wingspan
3,080 mm
n.k.
Launch Weight
1,770 kg
1,951 kg
Flight Path
Low-flying, terrain hugging


The 3M14E LACM has been designed to destroy ground-based targets and consists of a booster stage and a subsonic low-flying sustainer stage. The onboard control system includes a barometric altimeter used to maintain altitude in terrain-following mode (making the weapon stealthier than designs which rely on radar altimeters), plus a receiver for the GLONAS Satellite navigation system. The missile has a low flight altitude, 20 meters above sea and 50-150 meters over land. At the terminal stage of the flight the guidance is effected by the 'Korrelatsionaya' system. This guidance system employs a Scene Matching Area Correlator package, which guides the missile to a set of coordinates within a preprogrammed image surrounding the target – it is similar technology to the DSMAC in the BGM-109 Tomahawk. European sources claim this guidance package can hit completely hidden targets providing their location is well known relative to visually prominent features surrounding the aimpoint.

The missile exists in two versions - the 3M14E for submarine-launch and the 3M14TE for surface ships. Designed to be fired from standard 533mm torpedo tubes, the missile is almost identical in shape to that of the Klub-S / Klub-N 3M54E1 anti-ship missile. Pre-launch preparation and handling are done using the same hardware as is used for the other missiles of the Klub-S / Klub-N system.
The only difference between the two land-attack variants is that the 3M14E can be launched from a depth of 30-40m below the sea surface, while the 3M14TE surface ship version is compatible with vertical or slant launch from the TPS (transportno-puskovoy stakan) transport-launching container. The modified 3M14EE missile fitted with an enlarged conventional unitary fragmentation warhead or bomblets (a mix of incendiary, AP, HE, which can be varied to meet requirements).

The 3M14E and 3M14TE are intended for use against stationary ground targets such as administrative and economic centres, weapon and petrochemical storage areas, command posts, seaports, and airports. Once the mission data needed by the mid-course navigation system has been prepared, it is loaded into the missile's onboard computer prior to launch.
Both versions are launched under the power of a tandem solid-propellant rocket booster fitted with four small lattice stabilisers. Once the missile has reached flying speed, it is powered by a small turbojet engine.
For most of the flight to the target area, the missile flies autonomously, following the pre-programmed route and turning points. Once over land, it uses a terrain-following flight path that will make it a difficult target for enemy air defences. This low-level flight mode poses a higher load on the wings and missile structure than flight over the sea surface, so the land-attack missile has slightly redesigned wings of shorter span and deeper chord, plus a stronger structure.
 
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3M-54E Sizzler Missile Aircraft Carrier Killer?

March 25th, 2010

I first wrote in 2007 on the Article Discovery blog of the 3M-54E Sizzler missile's potential as an aircraft carrier destroying weapon. The article generated a lot of comment to the effect that US Navy ships have superior defensive weapon capabilities, such as the Phalanx CIWS and Aegis currently found aboard many Western-built naval vessels, and that the missile poses little threat to the United States Navy. After recently researching the Sizzler missile's supersonic and evasive action features I am not so sure that the comments generated by the article are based upon fact.

The 3M54E reaches its target in a most challenging manner. At 20 km from the target, the 3M54E's supersonic solid rocket-powered third-stage terminal 'dart' separates from the missile, descends to 3 to 5 metres above sea level and accelerates to a supersonic speed of Mach 2.9 in a zigzagging terminal run to hit its target. On the one hand this tremendous speed helps in the penetration of the enemy ship's air defenses, but on the other hand, due to the high velocity the missile becomes aerodynamically heated, giving it a relatively high infrared signature.

A universal FCS is used to plan the flight mission, upload this to the missile, and conduct pre-launch preparations. Both versions use a common shore-based system for planned inspection and maintenance of the missiles. Since the different types of missile are compatible with a common shipboard system, the user can load the vessel with whatever mix of weapons is best suited to the planned mission.

An un-named official with the Novotar Design Bureau, when describing the 3M54E variant, said "The Alfa combines aspects of the U.S. Harpoon and French Exocet besides the U.S. Tomahawk. This configuration offers speed, better fuel economy and a greater accuracy rate than the current Western missiles. Once launched from ship, submarine or aircraft, the 1.5 ton missile cruises at subsonic speed 4.5 meters above the sea to evade radar."

Both the 3M54E1 and 3M54E are small weapons which are difficult to detect on radar, especially should even basic radar signature reduction techniques be applied to them. The use of a bandpass radome and minimal absorbent coatings could push the weapon's head on radar cross section down to that of a large grapefruit.

The official adds, "At around 40 miles to its approach to the target, the forward section of the missile separates and ignites a solid booster, which rockets the missile to a supersonic speed of Mach 2.9. The purpose of this is to defeat current anti-missile systems with the Alfa missile's sheer speed. By the time the missile is within enemy radar range, it is already doing Mach 2.9. Within seconds it will be upon its target, even before existing anti-missile systems can fire their engines.

Its ability to attack land targets is enhanced by a new homing and guidance system that put it in the Tomahawk league." The Klub presents new challenges to Western defenses like Phalanx CIWS and Aegis currently found aboard many Western-built naval vessels.

One truly frightening development about the Sizzler missile has occurred since I first wrote about it in 2007. Almost certainly, an air launched version of the missile has been developed which can be launched by the Russian federation TU- 142 Bear bomber and other heavy bomber type aircraft. The TU-142 is the fastest, highest flying (45,000 feet) turboprop bomber in the world. The Bear bomber has a tremendous range of over 6500 nautical miles and can remain airborne for up to 18 hours without refueling.

While the Bear bomber is too slow to effectively penetrate a US aircraft carrier battle group's air defenses the 300 km range of the Sizzler missile makes it a formidable offensive weapons system. The Bear bomber could release the Sizzler while still 300 kilometers from the aircraft carrier or other target. With a terminal speed of Mach 2.9 during its final approach to the target the Sizzler's sheer speed would likely overcome the aircraft carrier's defense systems and deliver its 400 kilo explosive warhead on target.

To further complicate the aircraft carrier's defensive challenge it is highly likely that in any unfortunate conflict between US and Russian forces several Bear bombers would simultaneously attack the aircraft carrier battle group from at least slightly different directions. Should such an coordinated attack take place it is highly likely that at least one or two missiles would strike their target with devastating results.

Russia is not the only nation currently armed with Sizzler missiles, or a domestically developed missile with similar capabilities. China, most certainly has the missile and has likely brought them to bear on Taiwan and the Taiwan Straits. In addition, India has a number of the missiles already deployed on frigates and is reportedly acquiring from Russia aircraft capable of launching the Sizzler.

A major question is whether Iran has or is about to deploy the Sizzler missile. Iran is a major client of Russia, for example Russia is building a nuclear power facility for the Iranians, and has reportedly agreed to supply them with anti-aircraft weapons. Just a few Sizzler missiles positioned near the Straits of Hormuz, could control and seal off that vital waterway through which approximately 40% of the world's seaborne oil shipments are transported.

Another major question is whether the concept of the aircraft carrier group has become a dead duck in light of technological advances in weapons systems. It seems to me that relying upon a multi-billion-dollar weapons platform, like a nuclear powered modern aircraft carrier and its supporting ships, that can be taken out with a Sizzler missile costing perhaps a few hundred thousand dollars, is a poor trade-off and a bad bet.

Yet another trend that argues against the huge expenditures necessary to support an aircraft carrier battle group is the fact that future wars are more than likely to be low intensity counter insurgency efforts, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rather than high intensity battles between conventional forces. It really isn't possible to defeat highly motivated insurgent forces fighting within their own nation by using multi-million and multi-billion dollar weapons systems to destroy an insurgent or two who may be armed with less than $1000 in weapons between them.

The nation or nations using hugely expensive weapons systems fighting a war far from home will go bankrupt and financially destroy themselves long before they can destroy a sufficient number of local insurgent forces. The fact is that the more insurgents killed by the occupying forces the more insurgents created as the local populations soon resent and hate the occupying forces.

So coming back to the central theme of this article, is the 3M-54E Sizzler Missile an aircraft carrier killer? Judging from what we know about the missile's capabilities it certainly seems possible as the Navy still has not developed adequate defenses against it. Let's hope that we Americans don't have to find out the hard way should a serious conflict develop. Should hostilities break out in the Taiwan Strait, or we stage an attack upon Iran, we may soon put our aircraft carrier battle group's defenses to the ultimate test. The destruction of even one aircraft carrier by a Sizzler missile or similar offensive weapon would bring the age of aircraft carrier superiority to a tragic end.
 
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Navy Lacks Plan to Defend Against `Carrier-Destroying' Missile

http://forums.military.com/eve/forum.../5670059811001

by: Tony Capaccio
Fri Mar 23, 12:18 AM ET



March 23 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Navy, after nearly six years of warnings from Pentagon testers, still lacks a plan for defending aircraft carriers against a supersonic Russian-built missile, according to current and former officials and Defense Department documents.

The missile, known in the West as the ``Sizzler,'' has been deployed by China and may be purchased by Iran. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England has given the Navy until April 29 to explain how it will counter the missile, according to a Pentagon budget document.

The Defense Department's weapons-testing office judges the threat so serious that its director, Charles McQueary, warned the Pentagon's chief weapons-buyer in a memo that he would move to stall production of multibillion-dollar ship and missile programs until the issue was addressed.

``This is a carrier-destroying weapon,'' said Orville Hanson, who evaluated weapons systems for 38 years with the Navy. ``That's its purpose.''

``Take out the carriers'' and China ``can walk into Taiwan,'' he said. China bought the missiles in 2002 along with eight diesel submarines designed to fire it, according to Office of Naval Intelligence spokesman Robert Althage.

A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia also offered the missile to Iran, although there's no evidence a sale has gone through. In Iranian hands, the Sizzler could challenge the ability of the U.S. Navy to keep open the Strait of Hormuz, through which an estimated 25 percent of the world's oil traffic flows.

Fast and Low-Flying

``This is a very low-flying, fast missile,'' said retired Rear Admiral Eric McVadon, a former U.S. naval attache in Beijing. ``It won't be visible until it's quite close. By the time you detect it to the time it hits you is very short. You'd want to know your capabilities to handle this sort of missile.''

The Navy's ship-borne Aegis system, deployed on cruisers and destroyers starting in the early 1980s, is designed to protect aircraft-carrier battle groups from missile attacks. But current and former officials say the Navy has no assurance Aegis, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., is capable of detecting, tracking and intercepting the Sizzler.

``This was an issue when I walked in the door in 2001,'' Thomas Christie, the Defense Department's top weapons-testing official from mid-2001 to early 2005, said in an interview.

`A Major Issue'

``The Navy recognized this was a major issue, and over the years, I had continued promises they were going to fully fund development and production'' of missiles that could replicate the Sizzler to help develop a defense against it, Christie said. ``They haven't.''

The effect is that in a conflict, the U.S. ``would send a billion-dollar platform loaded with equipment and crew into harm's way without some sort of confidence that we could defeat what is apparently a threat very near on the horizon,'' Christie said.

The Navy considered developing a program to test against the Sizzler ``but has no plans in the immediate future to initiate such a developmental effort,'' Naval Air Systems Command spokesman Rob Koon said in an e-mail.

Lieutenant Bashon Mann, a Navy spokesman, said the service is aware of the Sizzler's capabilities and is ``researching suitable alternatives'' to defend against it. ``U.S. naval warships have a layered defense capability that can defend against various missile threats,'' Mann said.

Raising Concerns

McQueary, head of the Pentagon's testing office, raised his concerns about the absence of Navy test plans for the missile in a Sept. 8, 2006, memo to Ken Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition. He also voiced concerns to Deputy Secretary England.

In the memo, McQuery said that unless the Sizzler threat was addressed, his office wouldn't approve test plans necessary for production to begin on several other projects, including Northrop Grumman Corp.'s new $35.8 billion CVN-21 aircraft-carrier project; the $36.5 billion DDG-1000 destroyer project being developed by Northrop and General Dynamics Corp.; and two Raytheon Corp. projects, the $6 billion Standard Missile-6 and $1.1 billion Ship Self Defense System.

Charts prepared by the Navy for a February 2005 briefing for defense contractors said the Sizzler, which is also called the SS-N-27B, starts out flying at subsonic speeds. Within 10 nautical miles of its target, a rocket-propelled warhead separates and accelerates to three times the speed of sound, flying no more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level.

Final Approach

On final approach, the missile ``has the potential to perform very high defensive maneuvers,'' including sharp-angled dodges, the Office of Naval Intelligence said in a manual on worldwide maritime threats.

The Sizzler is ``unique,'' the Defense Science Board, an independent agency within the Pentagon that provides assessments of major defense issues, said in an October 2005 report. Most anti-ship cruise missiles fly below the speed of sound and on a straight path, making them easier to track and target.

McQueary, in a March 16 e-mailed statement, said that ``to the best of our knowledge,'' the Navy hasn't started a test program or responded to the board's recommendations. ``The Navy may be reluctant to invest in development of a new target, given their other bills,'' he said.

`Aggressively Marketing'

The Sizzler's Russian maker, state-run Novator Design Bureau in Yekaterinburg, is ``aggressively marketing'' the weapon at international arms shows, said Steve Zaloga, a missile analyst with the Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia-based defense research organization. Among other venues, the missile was pitched at last month's IDEX 2007, the Middle East's largest weapons exposition, he said.

Zaloga provided a page from Novator's sales brochure depicting the missile.

Alexander Uzhanov, a spokesman for the Moscow-based Russian arms-export agency Rosoboronexport, which oversees Novator, declined to comment.

McVadon, who has written about the Chinese navy, called the Sizzler ``right now the most pertinent and pressing threat the U.S. faces in the case of a Taiwan conflict.'' Jane's, the London-based defense information group, reported in 2005 in its publication ``Missiles and Rockets'' that Russia had offered the missile to Iran as part of a sale in the 1990s of three Kilo- class submarines.

That report was confirmed by the Pentagon official who requested anonymity. The Office of Naval Intelligence suggested the same thing in a 2004 report, highlighting in its assessment of maritime threats Iran's possible acquisition of additional Russian diesel submarines ``with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles.''

The Defense Science Board, in its 2005 report, recommended that the Navy ``immediately implement'' a plan to produce a surrogate Sizzler that could be used for testing.

``Time is of the essence here,'' the board said
 
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U.S. Can't Stop Chinese Missile; No Tests 'Til 2014

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008...#ixzz0nr7NtHV7

The U.S. Navy can't stop China's most sophisticated anti-ship missile — and won't even start testing a defense until 2014.

"Most anti-ship cruise missiles fly below the speed of sound and on a straight path, making them easier to track and target," notes Bloomberg News' Tony Capaccio. Not China's so-called "Sizzler" missile, already aboard eight Kilo-class submarines.

The Sizzler starts at subsonic speeds. Within 10 nautical miles of its target, a rocket-propelled warhead separates and accelerates to three times the speed of sound, flying no more than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level. On final approach, the missile 'has the potential to perform very high defensive maneuvers,' including sharp-angled dodges, the Office of Naval Intelligence said in a manual on worldwide maritime threats.

The Navy doesn't have a test target that can mimic how the Sizzler flies. They haven't even "picked a contractor to develop the test target," Capaccio notes. Industry proposals for building the target missile were received in February and a contract valued at about
$107 million will be awarded by Oct. 1 for a 54-month development phase and first fielding by 2014."

Admiral Timothy Keating, who heads the U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee last month that "we are currently not as capable of defending against that missile as I would like."

(Illustration: Air Power Australia)

Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008...#ixzz0nr7f5M24
 
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http://indiadefenceonline.com/1209/indian-navy-to-get-additional-new-cruise-missiles/

Indian Navy To Get Additional New Cruise Missiles


Russia will be installing Club-S (SS-N-27) cruise missile systems on four Kilo class diesel submarines in service with the Indian Navy in the next five years. Until now, only two Kilo-class submarines out of the ten submarines that Russia has built for India have the Club-S cruise missiles.

The Club-S subsonic cruise missile is designed for launch from a 533mm torpedo tube or a vertical launch tube. It has a range of 160 nautical miles (about 300 km). It uses an ARGS-54 active radar seeker and Glonass satellite and inertial guidance. Russia's Zvezdochka Shipyard has indicated that the new missile system will be installed on the INS Sindhuratna, INS Sindhuraj, INS Sindhushastra, and INS Sindhuvir and the retrofit will be carried out at Indian shipyards.

India and Russia had made a deal to upgrade all 10 Indian Kilo class submarines in 2001 and the Zvezdochka Shipyard has previously overhauled four submarines. The upgrade program, to the tune of $80 million, involves a complete overhaul of the submarines, including their hull structures, as well as improved control systems, sonar, electronic warfare systems, and an integrated weapon control system.

The Indian Navy acquired the cruise missile capability in the mid-'90s when its Soviet-built Kilo class submarines were sent to Russian shipyards for mid-life refits. India decided to equip them with the submarine-launched variant of the 220-km range Klub anti-ship cruise missile and India became the first customer for the yet untested missile.

The missile, designated SS-N-27 'Sizzler' by NATO, had already been ordered in 1998 for three Russian-built Talwar class frigates. Cruise missiles have lethal reputation because unlike torpedoes which have speeds of not more than 70 kilometres per hour, they travel at speeds of over 900 kilometres per hour.

While the ship-launched missile was inducted without problems, the Navy has been trying to sort the defect in the submarine-launched variant over the years. The Klub missiles were successfully test-fired in the Baltic Sea in 2001 and 2002. The problems surfaced when the missiles were test fired in Indian waters: minutes before reaching its target, the missile wobbled before diving into the water. Russian experts indicated that the problem was in the Kilo class submarine. Apparently, the issues involved a technicality related to the "gyroscope", a device which spins at high speed and tells a military platform its roll, pitch and yaw. As of now, new replacement gyroscopes for the Indian Navy's submarines are among the top items India needs from Russia.

In addition, the Zvezdochka Shipyard will also overhaul another Indian Kilo class submarine – the INS Sindhurakshak – under a deal which is expected to be signed in 2010.
 
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/club.htm

3M-54 Klub
SS-N-27 Sizzler


The Novator Design Bureau developed the Club anti-sub/ship cruise missile system [sometimes referred to as the Klub, Biryuza and Alpha/Alfa]. There is some confusion as to whether the SS-N-27 designation applies to this missile, or to the P-900 Alfa [industrial code 3M-51 ] , although the best evidence suggests that the 3M-54 Alfa is the SS-N-27, rather than the 3M-51 Alfa.

The Club missile system is designed to destroy submarine and surface vessels and also engage static/slow-moving targets, whose co-ordinates are known in advance, even if these targets are protected by active defences and electronic countermeasures.

There are two 'known' modifications of the system; Club-S (for submarines) and Club-N (for surface vessels). The Club-N can be installed in vertical launch cells or in angled missile boxes. Both systems are based on common hardware, the only difference being the design of the missile launchers and missile transport-launching containers.

Five types of missiles - 3M-54E, 3M-54E1, 3M-14E, 91RE1 and 91RE2 - have been developed for the Club ASCM. The Club-S can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE1 anti-submarine torpedo. The Club-N can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE2 anti-submarine torpedo.

The missile is 6.2 meters long, which is the same as the length of the standard torpedo tubes used by Western navies. It is designed according to the double-stage cruise scheme. The first solid-fuel stage ensures the missile's launch from a universal vertical launcher of a surface craft or from a submarine torpedo tube with a diameter of 0.533 meters.

The 3M-54E missile has a range of 300 km. For the majority of its trajectory it flies at a high subsonic speed. The first stage drops off when the missile reaches the prescribed altitude and its second stage sustainer engine goes into action. This is the time when the missile's wing and tail assembly unfold. The altitude of its flight goes down to 10-15 metres above the sea surface and the missile heads towards the target in accordance with the target designations, fed before the start into the memory of its board guidance system. The targeting on the cruise sector of the trajectory is effected by an inertia navigation system. The end sector of the missile's flight with the homing head active proceeds only five metres above the water surface. At 60 km from its target the third, solid-fuel stage separates from the missile, accelerates to supersonic speed and overcomes the defence zone of the target vessel.

In spite of its relatively small launch weight of 1,570 kilograms, the missile has a range of 300 kilometres and a powerful 450-kilogram warhead, which can blow up very large surface craft. The missile's moderate weight allows even warships with a small displacement to take aboard quite a few of such deadly weapons.

India is making substantial purchases of the Novator 3M-54 Alfa missile to equip Kilo class submarines and its new frigates. The first two Indian 877YeKM submarines (Kilo class, according to NATO classification) will be armed with the latest Russian 3M-54E antiship cruise missiles. These missiles will also be fitted onto three frigates which are being built to order for the Indian navy at the Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg. Each of the frigates will carry eight antiship missiles which will be launched from vertical launch containers on the bow of the ship.

It is believed that an air-launched variant will be purchased to arm the Tu-142s currently in service and the six to eight additional aircraft being sought by the Navy. If an air-launched version of the Alfa is procured, it is anticipated that India's Tu-22M3s will eventually be equipped to fire them.
 
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http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/club.htm

3M-54 Klub
SS-N-27


The Novator Design Bureau developed the Club anti-sub/ship cruise missile system [sometimes referred to as the Klub, Biryuza and Alpha/Alfa]. There is some confusion as to whether the SS-N-27 designation applies to this missile, or to the P-900 Alfa [industrial code 3M-51 ] , although the best evidence suggests that the 3M-54 Alfa is the SS-N-27, rather than the 3M-51 Alfa.

The Club missile system is designed to destroy submarine and surface vessels and also engage static/slow-moving targets, whose co-ordinates are known in advance, even if these targets are protected by active defences and electronic countermeasures.

There are two 'known' modifications of the system; Club-S (for submarines) and Club-N (for surface vessels). The Club-N can be installed in vertical launch cells or in angled missile boxes. Both systems are based on common hardware, the only difference being the design of the missile launchers and missile transport-launching containers.

Five types of missiles - 3M-54E, 3M-54E1, 3M-14E, 91RE1 and 91RE2 - have been developed for the Club ASCM. The Club-S can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE1 anti-submarine torpedo. The Club-N can be armed with a 3M-54E or 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile, 3M-14E submarine-to-coast missile or a 91RE2 anti-submarine torpedo.

The missile is 6.2 meters long, which is the same as the length of the standard torpedo tubes used by Western navies. It is designed according to the double-stage cruise scheme. The first solid-fuel stage ensures the missile's launch from a universal vertical launcher of a surface craft or from a submarine torpedo tube with a diameter of 0.533 meters.

The 3M-54E missile has a range of 300 km. For the majority of its trajectory it flies at a high subsonic speed. The first stage drops off when the missile reaches the prescribed altitude and its second stage sustainer engine goes into action. This is the time when the missile's wing and tail assembly unfold. The altitude of its flight goes down to 10-15 metres above the sea surface and the missile heads towards the target in accordance with the target designations, fed before the start into the memory of its board guidance system. The targeting on the cruise sector of the trajectory is effected by an inertia navigation system. The end sector of the missile's flight with the homing head active proceeds only five metres above the water surface. At 60 km from its target the third, solid-fuel stage separates from the missile, accelerates to supersonic speed and overcomes the defence zone of the target vessel

In spite of its relatively small launch weight of 1,570 kilograms, the missile has a range of 300 kilometres and a powerful 450-kilogram warhead, which can blow up very large surface craft. The missile's moderate weight allows even warships with a small displacement to take aboard quite a few of such deadly weapons.

India is making substantial purchases of the Novator 3M-54 Alfa missile to equip Kilo class submarines and its new frigates. The first two Indian 877YeKM submarines (Kilo class, according to NATO classification) will be armed with the latest Russian 3M-54E antiship cruise missiles. These missiles will also be fitted onto three frigates which are being built to order for the Indian navy at the Baltic shipyard in St Petersburg. Each of the frigates will carry eight antiship missiles which will be launched from vertical launch containers on the bow of the ship.

It is believed that an air-launched variant will be purchased to arm the Tu-142s currently in service and the six to eight additional aircraft being sought by the Navy. If an air-launched version of the Alfa is procured, it is anticipated that India's Tu-22M3s will eventually be equipped to fire them.
 
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http://www.suite101.com/blog/themadc...ntiship_missle

Sizzler - Russian Antiship Missle


The 3M54 SS-N-27 Klub antiship missile (known in the west by its NATO designation "Sizzler") is potentially the most dangerous of its species around today. The missile owes its lineage to the old "Styx", "Sunburn" and "Shipwreck" missiles that the Soviets used during the cold war. The west's answer was the Harpoon and the famous Falklands era Exocet missiles. The Sizzler can be launched from a standard torpedo tube of most modern submarines. Its danger comes in its incredibly fast and almost impossible to counter speed. In its terminal phase the 150 mile ranged missile separates its 440 pound warhead and travels up to 3000 km/per hour. In this phase it drops to as low as thirty feet above the surface and makes sharp evasive maneuvers to defeat the Cold War era Phalanx and Goalkeeper CIWS systems now protecting the fleets from this type of attack.

Russia is exporting these missiles to China and possibly to North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. The United States Navy as well as other NATO allies is implementing tests to come up with possible new defenses.

And the show goes on
 
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http://sbeckow.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/russian-missile-a-carrier-killer/

Russian Missile a "Carrier Killer"





I promised earlier to post an article on a Russian missile (the "Sizzler") which just may have rendered the modern carrier fleet obsolete. The missile travels so fast and so low that American forces have not been able to come up with an effective protection against it.

I attach two articles on the subject, one from 2010 and one from 2007.

I'm not an armaments buff. The point I wish to make is that the American branch of the dark cabal want the world to think they are invincible so that they can control Earth's population but their view of their own invincibility has already proven to be just a myth.

My hope is these articles will demonstrate that we're operating under an illusion when we think the American cabal's military juggernaut reigns supreme in the world. It does not.

This article concludes the series I intended to publish exposing the myth of invincibility.

Deadly new Russian weapon hides in shipping container

(Reuters) – A Russian company is marketing a devastating new cruise missile system which can be hidden inside a shipping container, giving any merchant vessel the capability to wipe out an aircraft carrier.

A Russian company is marketing a devastating new cruise missile system which can be hidden inside a shipping container, giving any merchant vessel the capability to wipe out an aircraft carrier. <

Potential customers for the formidable Club-K system include Kremlin allies Iran and Venezuela, say defense experts. They worry that countries could pass on the satellite-guided missiles, which are very hard to detect, to terrorist groups.

"At a stroke, the Club-K gives a long-range precision strike capability to ordinary vehicles that can be moved to almost any place on earth without attracting attention," said Robert Hewson of Jane's Defense Weekly, who first disclosed its existence.

A promotional video for the Club-K on the website of Moscow-based makers Kontsern-Morinformsistema-Agat shows an imaginary tropical country facing a land, sea and air attack from a hostile neighbor.

It fights back by loading three shipping containers concealing Club-Ks onto a truck, a train and a ship, disperses them, and then launches a devastating strike on its enemy, destroying its warships, tanks and airfields.

"The idea that you can hide a missile system in a box and drive it around without anyone knowing is pretty new," said Hewson, who is editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons.

"Nobody's ever done that before."

Hewson estimated the cost of the Club-K system, which packs four ground or sea-launched cruise missiles into a standard 40-foot shipping container, at $10-20 million.

"Unless sales are very tightly controlled, there is a danger that it could end up in the wrong hands," he said.

The promotional video showed how an ordinary shipping container with the Club-K inside could be hidden among other containers on a train or a ship. When required, the roof lifts off and the four missiles stand upright ready to fire.

An official reached by telephone at makers Kontsern Morinformsistema-Agat declined to answer questions about the Club-K.

He said the firm had no spokesman and he needed time to study written questions before passing a request to the firm's management.

Russia is one of the world's top arms exporters, selling a record $8.5 billion of weapons last year to countries ranging from Syria and Venezuela to Algeria and China. Its order book is estimated to top $40 billion.

Mikhail Barabanov, a defense expert at Russia's Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), said that as far as he understood, the Club-K was still at the concept stage.

"Potential clients include anyone who likes the idea," he said. "It is known that the United Arab Emirates has shown interest in buying the Club."

Barabanov said the Club-K used proven missiles from Novator, an established Russian maker of weaponry including anti-submarine, surface-to-air and submarine-launched missiles.

One of the missiles on offer is a special anti-ship variant with a second stage which splits off after launch and accelerates to supersonic speeds of up to Mach 3.

"It's a carrier-killer," said Hewson of Jane's. "If you are hit by one or two of them, the kinetic impact is vast"¦it's horrendous."
 
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CROSS POSTED

http://knol.google.com/k/vijainder-k-thakur/indian-navy-kilo-class-submarines/yo54fmdhy2mq/37#

Overhaul, sensor and weapon upgrade including Club-S missiles
The Indian Navy (IN) is in the process of upgrading its 10 Kilo class (Project 887EKM) submarines under a deal signed in 2001.
Contents

* Introduction
* INS Sindhurakshak Overhaul
* INS Sindukirti Overhaul
* IN Project 636 / Kilo class submarine fleet
* Kilo-class submarine capabilities
* Club-S Missiles


A port beam view of the Indian navy patrol submarine INS Sindhughosh en route to India.

Introduction

Each upgrade costs $80 million and involves a complete overhaul of the submarine and its hull structures; installation of an improved control system, sonar, electronic warfare system, and an integrated weapon control system.

Four submarines - INS Sindhuvir, INS Sindhuratna, INS Sindhughosh, and INS Sindhuvijay - have already been overhauled at the Zvezdochka shipyard in Severodvinsk, which is getting ready to overhaul the fifth - INS Sindhurakshak.

INS Sindhurakshak Overhaul
A deal to overall INS Sindhurakshak was signed on June 4, 2010.

The floating dock - Rolldock Sun - carrying the submarine on board left India for Severodvinsk on June 20, 2010. It arrived there on August 3.

Overhaul of the sub is expected to take between 2-2.5 years.

The submarine will be fitted with the Club-S missile system, and the Indian developed USHUS sonar and CCS-MK communication system.

INS Sindukirti Overhaul

Severodvinsk shipyard is concurrently repairing and modernizing INS Sindukirti in her basing site Vishakhapatnam, India.

IN Project 636 / Kilo class submarine fleet


The IN Project 636 / Kilo class submarine fleet comprises the following subs.

Name Commission Date
INS Sindhughosh S55 30 April 1986
INS Sindhudhvaj S56 12 June 1987
INS Sindhuraj S57 20 October 1987
INS Sindhuvir S58 26 August 1988
INS Sindhuratna S59 22 December 1988
INS Sindhukesari S60 16 February 1989
INS Sindhukirti S61 4 January 1990
INS Sindhuvijay S62 18 March 1991
INS Sindhurakshak S63 24 December 1997
INS Sindhushastra S65 19 July 2000


Kilo-class submarine capabilities
The Kilo-class submarine is thought to be one of the most silent submarine classes in the world. It has been specifically designed for anti-shipping and anti-submarine operations in relatively shallow waters.

Displacement.......2,300 tons
Max Dive Depth.......350 m (1,200')
Range..............6,000 miles
Crew..................57
Armament.......... 2x533
Max Surface Speed 10 kts
Max Submerged Speed 19 kts
Endurance 45 days
Max Depth 300m


Russia has built Kilo-class submarines for India, China and Iran.

Club-S Missiles

All 10 IN Kilo class subs are also being retrofitted with Club-S submarine cruise missile family.

The Club-S 3M-54E1 is a subsonic sea skimming (100') anti-ship missile which accelerates to supersonic speeds during its terminal phase covering the last 15 km in less than 20 seconds, making if difficult for anti missiles defenses to engage it.

The missile can be launched from a 533 mm torpedo tube from a depth of 35 to 40 meters (130 feet). It can also be launched from a vertical launch tube.

It uses an ARGS-54 active radar seeker and Glonass satellite and inertial guidance.

Club-S 3M-54E1
Weight 4,400 lb
Warhead 440 lb
Range 300 km
Terminal Speed 3,000 kph


INS Sindhugosh and INS Sindhuvijay have already been equipped with the Club-S cruise missile systems.
 

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