Submarine-launched ballistic missile

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A UGM-96 Trident I clears the water after launch from a US Navy submarine in 1984.

A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a nuclear warhead and allows a single launched missile to strike several targets. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles operate in a different way from submarine-launched cruise missiles.

Modern submarine-launched ballistic missiles are closely related to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), with ranges of over 5,500 kilometres (3,000 nmi), and in many cases SLBMs and ICBMs may be part of the same family of weapons.

History

Origins

The first practical design of a

Scud) on 16 September 1955.[1] Five additional Project V611 and AV611 (Zulu-V class) submarines became the world's first operational ballistic missile submarines (SSBs) with two R-11FM missiles each, entering service in 1956–57.[2]

The

Polaris missile,[5] and this prompted the Navy to leave the Jupiter program in December of that year. Soon Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke concentrated all Navy strategic research on Polaris, still under Admiral Raborn's Special Project Office.[4] All US SLBMs have been solid-fueled while all Soviet and Russian SLBMs have been liquid-fueled except for the Russian RSM-56 Bulava
, which entered service in 2014.

Polaris A-1

The world's first operational nuclear-powered

nuclear test series Operation Dominic. The first Soviet SSBN with 16 missiles was the Project 667A (Yankee class), which first entered service in 1967 with 32 boats completed by 1974.[12][13] By the time the first Yankee was commissioned the US had built 41 SSBNs, nicknamed the "41 for Freedom".[14][15]

M51 SLBM
in cross-section of a submarine.

Deployment and further development

The short range of the early SLBMs dictated basing and deployment locations. By the late 1960s the Polaris A-3 was deployed on all US SSBNs with a range of 4,600 kilometres (2,500 nmi), a great improvement on the 1,900 kilometres (1,000 nmi) range of Polaris A-1. The A-3 also had three warheads that landed in a pattern around a single target.

MIRV), multiple warheads that could each hit a different target.[10]

Poseidon and Trident I

Although the US did not commission any new SSBNs from 1967 through 1981, it did introduce two new SLBMs. Thirty-one of the 41 original US SSBNs were built with larger diameter launch tubes with future missiles in mind. In the early 1970s the

Naval Submarine Base King's Bay in Georgia was built for the Trident I-equipped force.[citation needed
]

Trident and Typhoon submarines

Trident II missile
just after launch.

Both the United States and the Soviet Union commissioned larger SSBNs designed for new missiles in 1981. The American large SSBN was the Ohio class, also called the "Trident submarine", with the largest SSBN armament ever of 24 missiles, initially Trident I but built with much larger tubes for the Trident II (D-5) missile, which entered service in 1990.[26][27] The entire class was converted to use Trident II by the early 2000s. Trident II offered a range of over 8,000 kilometres (4,300 nmi) with eight larger MIRV warheads than Trident I. When the USS Ohio (SSBN-726) commenced sea trials in 1980, two of the first ten US SSBNs had their missiles removed to comply with SALT treaty requirements; the remaining eight were converted to attack submarines (SSN) by the end of 1982. These were all in the Pacific, and the Guam SSBN base was disestablished; the first several Ohio-class boats used new Trident facilities at Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Washington. Eighteen Ohio-class boats were commissioned by 1997,[28] four of which were converted as cruise missile submarines (SSGN) in the 2000s to comply with START I treaty requirements. The Soviet large SSBN was the Project 941 Akula, famous as the Typhoon-class (and not to be confused with the Project 971 Shchuka attack submarine, called "Akula" by NATO). The Typhoons were the largest submarines ever built at 48,000 tons submerged. They were armed with 20 of the new R-39 Rif (SS-N-20) missiles with a range of 8,300 kilometres (4,500 nmi) and 10 MIRV warheads. Six Typhoons were commissioned in 1981–89.[29]

Post-Cold War

New SSBN construction terminated for over 10 years in Russia and slowed in the US with the

replacement for the Ohio class
; however, the first of the class wasn't laid down until October 2020.

decapitation strike.[citation needed
]

Types

Trident I C-4
SLBM and the paths of its reentry vehicles
SS-N-20), R-29RM (SS-N-23), JL-1, JL-2

Specific types of SLBMs (current, past and under development) include:

K-15 Sagarika SLBM
Type NATO Name Minimum Range (km) Maximum Range (km) Country Status
UGM-27 Polaris (A-1 through A-3)
 4,600 United States Decommissioned
UGM-73 Poseidon (C-3)
 4,600 Decommissioned
UGM-96 Trident I (C-4) 7,400 Decommissioned
UGM-133 Trident II (D5LE) 12,000 Operational
R-13 SS-N-4 600 Soviet Union Decommissioned
R-21
 SS-N-5 1,650 Soviet Union Decommissioned
R-27 Zyb
 SS-N-6 2,400 3,000 Soviet Union Decommissioned
R-29 "Vysota"/RSM-40[31] SS-N-8 "Sawfly" 7,700 9,000 Soviet Union Decommissioned
R-27K SS-NX-13 3,600 Soviet Union/Russia Never operational[32]
RSM-45
R-31
 SS-N-17 "Snipe"[31] 4,500 Soviet Union/Russia Decommissioned
RSM-50
R-29R "Vysota"
 SS-N-18 "Stingray" 6,500 Soviet Union/Russia Decommissioned
RSM-52
R-39 "Rif"
 SS-N-20 "Sturgeon" 8,300 Soviet Union/Russia Decommissioned
R-29RM "Shtil"/RSM-54 SS-N-23 "Skiff" 8,300 Soviet Union/Russia Decommissioned (Under rebuild to R-29RMU "Sineva")[33]
RSM-54 R-29RMU "Sineva" SS-N-23 "Skiff" 8,300 Soviet Union/Russia Operational
RSM-54 R-29RMU2 "Layner" 8,300 12,000 Soviet Union/Russia Operational
RSM-56 R-30 "Bulava" SS-NX-32[34] 8,300 9,300 Soviet Union/Russia Operational
UGM-27 Polaris (A-3) and Chevaline
 4,600 United Kingdom Decommissioned
UGM-133 Trident II (D5) 12,000 United Kingdom Operational
M1 3,000 France Decommissioned
M2 3,200 France Decommissioned
M20 3,000 France Decommissioned
M4 5,000 France Decommissioned
M45 6,000 France Operational
M51 8,000 10,000 France Operational
JL-1[35] 2,500 China Decommissioned (never fully operational)
JL-2 7,400 8,000 China Operational
JL-3 12,000 China Operational[36]
K-15/B-05 Sagarika 750 1,900 India Operational
K-4
 4,000 India Operational [1]
K-5 5,000 India Under development[37][38]
K-6 8,000 12,000 India Under development[39][40]
Pukguksong-1
(KN-11)		 500 2,500 North Korea Operational[41]
Variant Pukguksong-1 North Korea Being tested[42]
Pukguksong-3(KN-26) ≥2000[43] North Korea Being tested[44]
Pukguksong-4ㅅ[43] North Korea Dubious, neither model appears real as both models lack a separation shroud and the Pukguksong-4 was escorted by the KPA Ground Force.[45]
Pukguksong-5ㅅ ≥3000 North Korea
Hyunmoo IV-4 500 South Korea Being tested[46][47]
Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile 3000[48] Japan Under development[49]

Non-military use

Some former Russian SLBMs have been converted into Volna and Shtil' launch vehicles to launch satellites – either from a submarine or from a launch site on land.

See also

References

  1. ^ Wade, Mark. "R-11". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 9 March 2002. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Large submarines – Project 611". russianships.info.
  3. ^ a b Friedman, pp. 192–195
  4. ^ a b "History of the Jupiter Missile System". heroicrelics.org.
  5. ISBN 0-7382-0532-X
    .
  6. ^ Friedman, p. 196
  7. ^ "Missiles 1963", Flight International: 752, 7 November 1963
  8. Nauka i Zhizn'
    . Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 658". russianships.info.
  10. ^ a b c Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 355–357
  11. ISBN 978-1-59114-690-2
    .
  12. ^ Gardiner and Chumbley, p. 403
  13. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 667A". russianships.info.
  14. ^ Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 610–613
  15. ^ a b Polmar American Submarine, p. 133
  16. ^ Friedman, pp. 199–200
  17. ^ Polmar American Submarine, pp. 131–133
  18. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 667B". russianships.info.
  19. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 667BD". russianships.info.
  20. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 667BDR". russianships.info.
  21. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 667BDRM". russianships.info.
  22. ^ Friedman, p. 201
  23. ^ Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 553–554
  24. ^ Friedman, p. 206
  25. ^ Polmar American Submarine, pp. 133–135
  26. ^ Friedman, pp. 206–207
  27. ^ Gardiner and Chumbley, p. 554
  28. ^ Gardiner and Chumbley, p. 613
  29. ^ "Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – Project 941". russianships.info.
  30. ^ "DTRA verification page". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  31. ^
    ISBN 5-8172-0069-4
  32. ^ SS-NX-13 SLBM System (U), Defense Intelligence Agency, D5T-1020S-4l7-75, 1 October 1975
  33. ^ "SSBN K-51 Verkhoturye arrived to Zvezdochka for repairs today". Rusnavy.com. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  34. ^ NASIC-1031-0985-09
  35. ^ "JL-1 [CSS-N-3] – China Nuclear Forces". Fas.org. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  36. ^ "2023 Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" (PDF). US Department of Defense. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Going nuclear at sea". The Indian Express. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  38. ^ "India's First Ballistic Missile Sub to Begin Sea Trials". The Diplomat. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  39. ^ "India's Undersea Deterrent".
  40. ^ "From India Today magazine: A peek into India's top secret and costliest defence project, nuclear submarines".
  41. ^ (2nd LD) N.K. leader calls SLBM launch success, boasts of nuke attack capacity – Yonhap, 25 August 2016 08:17 am
  42. ^ "PS-1 mod". b14643.de. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  43. ^ a b 오석민 (15 October 2020). "N. Korea's new SLBM labeled 'Pukguksong-4ㅅ,' not 'Pukguksong-4A: Navy chief". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  44. ^ "Pukguksong-3 (KN-26)". Missile Threat. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  45. ^ "Pukguksong-4 and -5". b14643.de. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  46. ^ Si-young, Choi (7 September 2021). "South Korea tests first SLBM". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  47. ^ Lendon, Brad; Kwon, Jake; Bae, Gawon; Seo, Yoonjung (15 September 2021). "Both North and South Korea fire ballistic missiles as tensions rise on peninsula". CNN. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  48. ^ "敵基地攻撃の長射程ミサイル、「5年後」「10年後」と段階的に配備：朝日新聞デジタル". 27 December 2022. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022.
  49. ^ "「反撃能力」保有へ、長射程ミサイル同時開発を検討…極超音速など１０種類以上". December 2022.

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