Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
October 14, 2008
IWG Report 2007
Independent Working Group Report: Missile Defense, the Space Relationship, and the Twenty-First Century. »»
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SS-N-21
| Country: | Russian Federation |
|---|---|
| Alternate Name: | Sampson, RK-55 Granat/3M10 |
| Class: | SuLCM |
| Target: | Land |
| Length: | 8.09 m |
| Diameter: | 0.51 m |
| Wingspan: | 3.30 m |
| Launch Weight: | 1.00 kg |
| Payload: | 200 kT nuclear; or 400 kg HE, submunitions |
| Propulsion: | Turbofan w/ solid booster |
| Range: | 2.00 km |
| Guidance: | INS, TERCOM |
| Status: | Operational |
| In Service: | 1984-Present |
Details
The SS-N-21 “Sampson” (RK-55 Granat/3M10) is an intermediate-range, submarine-launched, turbofan-powered, single warhead cruise missile developed and manufactured by the Soviet Union.
Development of the submarine-launched SS-N-21 “Sampson” began in December 1976, along with the ground-launched SSC-X-4 “Slingshot” (RK-55 Granat) and the air-launched AS-15 “Kent” (Kh-55 or RKV-500A) cruise missiles. The RK-55 family of missiles was intended to complement the intermediate-range SS-20 “Saber” (RSD-10 Pioneer) ballistic missile, which could strike all strategic targets in Europe. The missiles are believed to have been developed and manufactured by the Raduga Mechanical Design Bureau (MKB Raduga). U.S. sources claim that the Rk-55 was based on the U.S. Tomahawk, the blueprints of which the Soviets acquired at an early design stage.
The SS-N-21 was designed for deployment on “Victor 3” (Project 671RTM), “Akula 1/2” (Project 971), “Sierra 1/2” (Project 945), and “Yankee Notch” (Project 667AR/AT) class submarines, each of which can carry between 20 and 35 missiles. The SS-N-21 is 8.09 m long, has a body diameter of 0.51 m, and has a launch weight of 1,700 kg. It is launched from a standard 533 mm diameter torpedo tube, after which the wings unfold and the main turbofan engine takes over. Guidance was provided by an inertial navigation system (INS) in the midcourse phase, with some form of terrain matching for position updates and terminal guidance. The SS-N-21 is reported to have a cruising speed of Mach 0.7 and a maximum range of 2,400 km. It carried a single 200 kiloton nuclear warhead or a 400 kg conventional high explosive or submunitions warhead.
The SS-N-21 entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1984. In 1991, the Russians reported that 240 missiles were deployed on 37 submarines. The following year, Russia indicated that nuclear armed versions of the SS-N-21 would be removed from operational service as part of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty 2 (START 2) agreement. Sources indicate, however, that some missiles have been modified with high explosive or submunition warheads.
In June 2004, Russia possessed 15 submarines capable of carrying the SS-N-21, including the “Victor 3,” “Akula 1/2,” “Sierra 1/2,” and “Yankee Notch” class submarines. The number of missiles remaining in service is thought to be around 200. Sources indicate that the SS-N-21 might be deployed on converted “Delta 1/2/3” submarines in the future, and possibly even on surface ships.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, ed., Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 42 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, July 2005), p. 179; GlobalSecurity.org, “Kh-55 Granat,” available at http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/kh-55.htm, accessed on August 1, 2006.
