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| P-15 Termit SS-N-2 Styx | |
|---|---|
 A P-15M missile (SS-N-2c) being unloaded from a former East German NavyTarantul class missile boat | |
| Type | Anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1960–present |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | MKB Raduga |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,580 kg (5,690 lb) |
| Length | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.76 m (2 ft 6 in) |
| Wingspan | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Warhead | 454 kg (1,001 lb)hollow charge high explosive |
| Engine | Liquid-propellant rocket,solid-propellant rocket booster |
Operational range | 40 kilometres (25 mi) / 80 kilometres (50 mi) |
| Flight altitude | 25 to 100 metres (82 to 328 ft) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.95 |
Guidance system | INS,active radar homing, supplemented in some withinfrared homing |
Launch platform | naval ships, ground launch |
TheP-15Termit (Russian:П-15 "Термит"; English:termite) is an anti-shipmissile developed by theSoviet Union'sRaduga design bureau in the 1950s. ItsGRAU designation was4K40, itsNATO reporting name wasStyx orSS-N-2. China acquired the design in 1958 and created at least four versions: theCSS-N-1Scrubbrush andCSS-N-2 versions were developed for ship-launched operation, while theCSS-C-2Silkworm andCSS-C-3Seersucker were used forcoastal defence. Other names for this basic type of missile include:HY-1,SY-1, andFL-1Flying Dragon (Chinese designations typically differ for export and domestic use, even for otherwise identical equipment),North Korean local producedKN-1 orKN-01, derived from both Silkworm variants and Russian & USSRP-15, Rubezh, P-20 P-22 .
Despite its large size, thousands of P-15s were built and installed on many classes of ships frommissile boats/fast attack craft todestroyers, coastalbatteries, andbomber aircraft (Chinese versions).
The P-15 was not the first anti-ship missile in Soviet service; that distinction goes to theSS-N-1Scrubber, and to the aircraft-launchedAS-1 Kennel. The SS-N-1 was a powerful but rather raw system, and it was soon superseded by theSS-N-3Shaddock. This weapon was fitted to 4,000-tonKynda class cruisers and replaced an initial plan for 30,000-ton battlecruisers armed with 305 mm (12.0 in) and 45 mm (1.8 in) 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 theBI rocket interceptor.[1]
_fires_a_P-15_Termit_missile.jpg)
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, twodelta wings in the center and three control surfaces in the tail. It was also fitted with a solid-fueled booster under the belly.[2] This design was based on theYak-1000 experimental fighter built in 1951.
The weapon was meant to be cheap, yet still give an ordinarymissile boat the same 'punch' as a battleship salvo. The onboard electronics were based on a simple analog design, with a homingconical scanningradar sensor. It used a more reliable rocket engine with acid fuel in preference to a turbojet.[citation needed]
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 −15 to 38 °C (5 to 100 °F).[2]
The missile weighed around 2,340 kilograms (5,160 lb), had a top speed of Mach 0.9 and a range of 40 kilometres (25 mi). 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 anincendiary device.[2]
The warhead was a 500-kilogram (1,100 lb)shaped charge, an enlarged version of ahigh-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, larger than thesemi-armour piercing (SAP) warhead typical of anti-ship missiles. The launch was usually made with the help ofelectronic warfare support measures (ESM) gear and Garpunradar at a range of between 5.5 and 27 kilometres (3.4 and 16.8 mi) due to the limits of the targeting system. The Garpun's range against a destroyer was about 20 kilometres (12 mi).[2]
The onboardsensor was activated at 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from impact, the missile would begin to descend at 1-2° to the target, because the flight pattern was about 120 to 250 metres (390 to 820 ft) above sea level. In minimum range engagements there was the possibility of using active sensors at shorter distances, as little as 2.75 kilometres (1.71 mi).[2]TheP-15U was introduced in 1965, with improved avionics and folding wings, enabling the use of smaller containers. It was replaced by theP-15M in 1972, which was a further development of the P-15U, with enhanced abilities (its export simplified variants were designatedP-21 andP-22, depending on the sensor installed, and a whole export system was designated theP-20M).[citation needed]
In total, the P-15 family had the following models:[2]
In 1989, during the Baghdad International Exhibition for Military Production Iraq unveiled a series of coastal defense missiles under the name Faw, most likely built with technical assistance from Yugoslavia and some help from Egypt, China and the Soviet Union:[3]
After the 1991Gulf War, the Faw missile remained in service with theIraqi Armed Forces, although it was largely obsolete prior to the2003 invasion of Iraq.[4]
This missile, despite its mass, was used in small and medium ships, from 60 to 4,000 tons, shore batteries and (only for derived models) aircraft and submarines. The main users were:
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The first use of these weapons was in 1962, during theCuban Missile Crisis.Komar-class missile boats were deployed in Operation "Anadyr" ("Анадырь"), 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.
During theWar of Attrition, after theSix-Day War in 1967, theIsraeli destroyerEilat was sailing at low speed outsidePort Said on 21 October. At a range of 17 nautical miles (31 km), she was attacked by two EgyptianKomars, 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 theEilat 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.[5] The engagement fueled interest in both offensive weapons and defenses such asclose-in weapon systems (CIWS) andelectronic countermeasures (ECM).
During theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971, IndianOsa-class boats raided the port ofKarachi in two highly successful operations causing severe damage and sinking several ships with their P-15s, among them the destroyer,Khaibar. She was a formerBattle-class destroyer, originally designed as an anti-aircraft ship. Her armament might be effective against conventional air threats, (mounting 5 × 114 mm guns and several 40 mm Bofors), 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 threeOsa class missile boats on the night of 5 December.[6] 'Operation Trident' involved:
Around 20:30, a target was acquired by radar, at a distance of over 64 kilometres (40 mi), andNirghat fired two missiles. This target was the destroyerKhaibar, sailing at 20 knots (37 km/h). The crew of the ship saw a "bright light" in the sky, low on the water. Believing it to be the afterburner of a fighter aircraft,Khaibar opened fire with herBofors guns, but these were not effective against such a small, fast target. The missile struck the starboard side at 22:45, destroying the electrical system. One of the boilers, possibly struck by the HEAT charge, also exploded. Despite thick smoke and a fire,Khaibar was still able to engage the second missile, again mistaking it for an enemy fighter. This missile struck the ship four minutes after the first, quickly sinking her.
During this action,Nipat attacked another two ships; the cargo vesselVenus Challenger, which was carrying ammunition fromSaigon, was destroyed. Her escort, the destroyerPNSShahjahan was severely damaged and later scrapped.
Veer then attackedMuhafiz at 23:05, (she was a minesweeper that had witnessed the attacks againstKhaibar); 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, whilePetya-class frigates providedanti-submarine protection to theOsa-class boats.
On the night of 8 December, in the second operation,Operation Python, theOsa-class boatVinash, escorted by two frigates, fired missiles at Karachi in a six-minute action. One missile hit an oil tank, destroying it. The British shipHarmattan was sunk, the Panamanian shipGulfstar was set on fire. The Pakistan Navy fleet tanker, PNSDacca, 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 everyOsa the ability to strike several targets. Big ships, without any specialized defence, were targets for P-15s.
CIA inspected and analyzed data on Styx missiles from the guidance systems of missiles delivered to Indonesia. The US Navy had underestimated the threat of Soviet missiles, but after 1967 this changed. The US Navy thought that North Vietnam missile boats and coastal defenses using P-15 missiles could be met by US vessels off the coast and that ECM and air defense missiles would be effective countermeasures. The Soviet Union in fact decided not to supply P-15 missiles to North Vietnam, even though a promise to do so had been made in 1965.[citation needed]
In April 1972 the US Navy claimed to have been attacked by P-15 missiles during theBattle of Đồng Hới and they were shot down byTerrier missiles.[citation needed]
Despite these early successes, the 1973Yom Kippur War saw P-15 missiles used by the Egyptian and Syrian navies prove ineffective against Israeli ships. The Israeli Navy had phased out their old ships, building a fleet ofSa'ar-class FACs: faster, smaller, more maneuverable and equipped with new missiles and countermeasures.[7]
Although the range of the P-15 was twice that of the IsraeliGabriel, allowing Arab ships to fire first, radar jamming andchaff degraded their accuracy. In theBattle of Latakia andBattle of Baltim, several dozen P-15s were fired and all missed. Arab ships did not possess heavy firepower required for surface combat against enemy vessels, usually only 25 and 30 mm guns, andOsa andKomar boats were not always able to outrun their Israeli pursuers.
P-15 variants, including the Chinese duplication "Silkworm", were employed byIran againstIraq in the 1980–1988Iran–Iraq War, with some success. The length of the Iranian coastline allowed their missile shore batteries to control a large part of thePersian Gulf, especially around theStraights of Hormuz.
Iraq also acquired Silkworms, some with anIR homing ability. Iraqi OSA-class missile boats equipped with SS-N-2 used them against theIRIN navy, managed to hit and sink an IranianKaman-class fast attack craft, butsustained heavy losses, especially from IranianHarpoons andMavericks. Iraqi forces combined SS-N-2 (P-15 Termit) launched from Tu-22,Exocet missiles launched from Mirage F1 and Super Etendard, as well as Silkworm missiles and C-601 missiles launched from Tu-16 and H-6 bombers, bought from the Soviet Union and China to engage the Iranian Navy and tankers carrying Iranian oil.
During the FirstGulf War the Iraqis fired two Silkworms against Coalition ships on 25 February 1991. One suffered a mechanical failure and crashed into the sea,[8] while the other headed forbattleshipUSS Missouri, which was escorting a fleet of minesweepers engaged in coastal anti-mine operations. USS Missouri launchedflares andchaffs to spoof the missile whileHMSGloucester engaged the Silkworm with a salvo ofSea Dart missiles which destroyed it after it had missed its target.[9]
The P-15 missile family and their clones were widely deployed from the 1960s.
The German Navy, after reunification, gave its stock of almost 200 P-15s to theUnited States Navy in 1991, these weapons being mainly the P-15M/P-22. They were used for missile defence tests.[10]
Algerian National Navy – P-20U and 4K51 Rubezh.[11]: 316 
Cuban Revolutionary Navy – P-22, P-20U, and 4K51 Rubezh.[11]: 394 
Egyptian Navy – P-20.[11]: 321 
Indian Navy – P-27 Termit-R mounted on destroyers and corvettes.[11]: 249–250 
Islamic Republic of Iran Navy – HY-2.[11]: 325 
Libyan Navy – P-22.[11]: 340 
Korean People's Navy – P-15, P-20, HY-1 and Kumsong-3.[11]: 263–264 
People's Liberation Army Navy – HY-1, HY-2, and HY-4.[11]: 239 
Romanian Naval Forces – P-22.[11]: 126–127 
Russian Navy – P-22 Mounted onTarantul-class corvettes and 4K51 Rubezh on coastal batteries.[11]: 188, 190 
Syrian Navy – P-15M and P-22.[11]: 355 
Vietnam People's Navy – P-15,[12] P-20, and 4K51 Rubezh.[11]: 300 
Angolan Navy[13]: 125 – retired from service.
Azerbaijani Navy[14]: 87 – retired from service.
Bangladesh Navy – HY-1 and HY-2 used onType 021-class missile boats andType 024 missile boats,[15] retired from service.
Bulgarian Navy – P-22, used until 2021.[16]: 90 
Finnish Navy[17]: 87 – retired from service.
Volksmarine[17]: 47–48 – passed on to Germany.
German Navy – used on theHiddensee (ex-Rudolf Egelhofer).[18]
Border Police of Georgia – P-15M missiles transferred from Ukraine in 1999 for theMatka-class missile boat, Tbilisi.[15]
Ethiopian Navy[17]: 127 – passed on to Eritrea.
Eritrean Navy – acquired from Ethiopia. Out of service in 2004.[19]: 233 
Indonesian Navy – used onKomar-class missile boats.[15]
Iraqi Navy – HY-2, Faw-70, Faw-150, and Faw-200 missiles included.[4][8]
Montenegrin Navy[20]: 120 – retired from service.
Polish Navy – P-21/22 used until 2014.[20]: 127 
Somali Navy[17]: 113 – out of service after theSomali Civil War.
South Yemen[17]: 118 – passed on to the unified Yemeni state.
Soviet Navy[17]: 36–37 – passed on to successor states.
Ukrainian Navy[21]: 213 – operated some prior to theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
Yemeni Navy[20]: 351 – acquired after theYemeni unification. Non-operational after thecivil war.
Yugoslav Navy[17]: 91 – passed on to successor states.
United States Navy, for experimental activities.[citation needed]
Pakistan Navy, acquired fromEgyptian Navy for experimental activities only, no deployment.: 246 [22]
Media related toP-15 Termit at Wikimedia Commons