P-120 Malakhit

P-120/P-50 Malakhit
(
NPO Mashinostroyeniye
)
P-120/P-50 Malakhit ; ( NPO Mashinostroyeniye)
Specifications
Mass	3,180 kg (7,010 lb)
Length	8.84 m (29.0 ft)
Diameter	76.2 cm (30.0 in)
Wingspan	2.1 m (6.9 ft)
Warhead	HE-SAP or 200 kt nuclear
Warhead weight	total 840 kg (1,850 lb) HE 500 kg/1102 lb
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
Maximum speed	Mach 1+
Launch; platform	Charlie-II

The P-120 Malakhit (

GRAU designation: 4K85^[1]) 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 Introduced in 1972, it remains in service but has been superseded by the P-270 Moskit

.

Development

The

P-5 Pyatyorka (SS-N-3A 'Shaddock') missiles. This made the submarines 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.

Design

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.

Operational history

The 'Siren' entered service on corvettes of the

Nanuchka-class corvettes.^[3]

About 500 missiles were produced.

It was not until November 1977 that it was accepted for use on submarines. The Charlie-II submarine carried eight missiles (of which two usually carried

thermonuclear warheads

).

It saw action in 2008 in the hands of the

action off Abkhazia

, where it was used without success, mistakenly against

MV Lotos-1 from Moldova.^[4]^[5]