RK-55

RK-55 Granat (NATO reporting name: SSC-X-4 'Slingshot') S-10 Granat (SS-N-21 'Sampson')
RK-55 Transporter-Erector-Launcher
Type	surface/sub-launched nuclear cruise missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1984
Used by	Soviet Union / Russia
Production history
Designer	L. V. Lyulev
Designed	1975
Manufacturer	Novator
Produced	1976
Specifications
Weight	1,700 kg (3,750 lb)
Length	809 cm (26 ft 7 in)
Diameter	51 cm (20.1 in)
Warhead	Conventional Nuclear
Blast yield	Nuclear 200kt ^[1]

Engine	Solid-propellant rocket booster + R-95-300 turbofan 450 kgf
Wingspan	310 cm (122.0 in)
Operational range	3,000 km (1,600 nmi)^[2]
Speed	720 km/h (447.4 mph)
Guidance system	Sprut inertial guidance plus TERCOM
Launch platform	Akula-class submarine, Sierra II, Victor III, Yankee Notch, Yasen-class submarine, TEL

The Grusha-class submarine carried up to forty S-10's in tubes behind the sail

The Novator RK-55 Granat (Russian: РК-55 Гранат 'Garnet'; NATO: SSC-X-4 'Slingshot'; GRAU: 3K10) was a Soviet land-based cruise missile with a nuclear warhead. It was about to enter service in 1987 when such weapons were banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. A version launched from submarine torpedo tubes, the S-10 Granat (SS-N-21 'Sampson'; GRAU: 3M10), has apparently been converted to carry conventional warheads and continues in service to this day.^[3]

The RK-55 is very similar to the air-launched Kh-55 (AS-15 'Kent') but the Kh-55 has a drop-down turbofan engine^[4] and was designed by MKB Raduga. Both have formed the basis of post-Cold-War missiles, in particular the Sizzler which has a supersonic approach phase.^[5]

Development

In the late 1960s, the "Ekho" study conducted by the GosNIIAS institute concluded that it would be more effective to deploy lots of small, subsonic cruise missiles than the much more expensive supersonic missiles then in favour.^[6] In 1971 Raduga began working on the air-launched Kh-55, which first flew in 1976.^[4] That same year, RK-55 first flew.^[5] NPO Novator would work on the submarine- and ground-launched versions. In 1993 Novator exhibited the Sizzler series weapons, which appears to be based on the RK-55.^[5] It is a two-stage design, which goes supersonic during its final approach to the target.

Design

Six RK-55 missiles are carried on an eight-wheeled transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) based on the MAZ 543 launcher of the R-17 (SS-1 'Scud B').^[7]

The S-10 is launched through 533 mm torpedo tubes.

Operational history

Fewer than 100 SS-N-21s had been deployed by the end of 1988.^[2] The new Akula-class submarine, launched in September 1986, was the first class to receive the new missile.^[8] It was later fitted to the Sierra I/II class and eight Victor III's and the new Yasen-class submarines.^[8]

The Grusha-class submarine deployed in 1988^[2] is a design of particular note, replacing the missile launchers on a ballistic submarine with tubes dedicated to large numbers of cruise missiles. They were probably nuclear-tipped RK-55's during the Cold War, and then converted to use conventional warheads for land attack^[8] after the START I treaty restricted sub-launched nuclear cruise missiles. The US Navy has done the same on a grander scale with the SSGN conversions of four Ohio-class submarines. It has been suggested that RK-55's could in future be fitted to converted Delta class submarines, or to surface ships, but these have not been confirmed.^[5]

The ground-launched variant was subject to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed in December 1987 and had been tested but not deployed by that time.^[9] 80 missiles had been destroyed by November 1990.^[10]

Variants

RK-55 (SSC-X-4 'Slingshot') - ground-based version
S-10 or RK-55 (SS-N-21 'Sampson') - submarine-launched version
SSC-X-8 (9M728 9M729)

Conventional unitary High Explosive (HE) warhead and submunition warhead versions of the RK-55 have probably been developed, to justify the continuing service of the submarines that carry them.^[5]

Operators

Russia

Former

Derivatives

India
Iran
North Korea
People's Republic of China
Pakistan
Republic of Korea Hyunmoo cruise missile .

Similar weapons

Raduga Kh-55 - originally thought in the West to be an air-launched version of the RK-55, now has tactical versions such as the Kh-55 and the stealthy Kh-101.
UGM-109 Tomahawk - the Capsule Launch System allows Tomahawks to be fired from torpedo tubes or dedicated submarine launch tubes
Ground Launched Cruise Missile (BGM-109G Gryphon) - land-based Tomahawk with tactical nuclear warhead of 10-50 kt and 2000–2500 km range
Pershing 1b and Pershing II RR - 740 km range ballistic missile also in testing at the time of the INF Treaty

Notes and references

↑ SIPRI (1989) p16
1 2 3 Norris, Cochran; et al. (1989), SIPRI Yearbook 1989: World Armaments and Disarmament (PDF), p. 21
↑ CSIS Missile Threat - SS-N-21 (RK-55)
1 2 "Kh-55 (AS-15 'Kent'/Kh-555/RKV-500/Kh-65)", Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, 2009-09-09, archived from the original on February 4, 2009, retrieved 2009-02-04
1 2 3 4 5 "RK-55 Granat (SS-N-21 'Sampson'/3M10)", Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, 2008-09-10, retrieved 2009-02-04
↑ "Kh-55/RKV-500A, Kh-55SM/RKV-500B, Kh-555 and Kh-65SE (AS-15 'Kent')", Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, 2008-08-01, archived from the original on June 4, 2009, retrieved 2009-02-06
↑ "RK-55 (SSC-X-4 'Slingshot' and 3K10 Granat)", Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, 2008-09-12, retrieved 2009-02-04
1 2 3 "SS-N-21 'Sampson' (P-1000 3M70 Vulkan/3M10 Granat)", Jane's Naval Weapon Systems, 2009-01-08, archived from the original on September 15, 2008, retrieved 2009-02-04
↑ Thomson, David B. (July 1999), A Guide to the Nuclear Arms Control Treaties LA-UR-99-3173 (PDF), Los Alamos National Laboratory, p. 131
↑ Thomson (1999) p127

External links

CSIS Missile Threat - SS-N-21 (RK-55)

NATO designation for Russian and former Soviet Union missiles

Air-to-air missiles
(complete list)

Air-to-surface missiles
(complete list)

Anti-tank missiles
(complete list)

Surface-to-air missiles
(complete list)

Ground based	SA-1 Guild SA-2 Guideline SA-3 Goa SA-4 Ganef SA-5 Gammon SA-6 Gainful SA-7 Grail SA-8 Gecko SA-9 Gaskin SA-10 Grumble SA-11 Gadfly SA-12 Gladiator/Giant SA-13 Gopher SA-14 Gremlin SA-15 Gauntlet SA-16 Gimlet SA-17 Grizzly SA-18 Grouse SA-19 Grison SA-20 Gargoyle SA-21 Growler SA-22 Greyhound SA-23 Gladiator/Giant SA-24 Grinch SA-25 Morfey S-350E

Naval based	SA-N-1 Goa SA-N-2 Guideline SA-N-3 Goblet SA-N-4 Gecko SA-N-5 Grail SA-N-6 Grumble SA-N-7 Gadfly SA-N-8 Gremlin SA-N-9 Gauntlet SA-N-10 Grouse SA-N-11 Grison SA-N-12 Grizzly SA-N-14 Grouse SA-N-20 Gargoyle

ABMs	ABM-1 Galosh ABM-3/53T6 Gazelle S-500

Surface-to-surface missiles
(complete list)

Ground based	SS-1 Scunner/SS-1 Scud (Scud-A/-B/-C/-D) SS-2 Sibling SS-3 Shyster SS-4 Sandal SS-5 Skean SS-6 Sapwood SS-7 Saddler SS-8 Sasin SS-8B Sasin 2 SS-9 Scarp SS-10 Scrag SS-11 Sego SS-12 Scaleboard SS-X-13 Savage SS-13 Savage SS-14 Scamp/Scapegoat SS-15 Scrooge SS-16 Sinner SS-17 Spanker SS-18 Satan SS-19 Stiletto SS-20 Saber SS-21 Scarab SS-22 Scaleboard SS-23 Spider SS-24 Scalpel SS-25 Sickle SS-26 Stone SS-27 Sickle B SS-28 Saber 2 SS-29 Yars SS-X-30 Satan 2 SS-X-31 Rubezh SS-X-32Zh Barguzin

Naval based	SS-N-1 Scrubber SS-N-2 Styx SS-N-3c Shaddock SS-N-3a Shaddock 3b Sepal SS-N-4 Sark SS-N-5 Sark/Serb SS-N-6 Serb SS-N-7 Starbright SS-N-8 Sawfly SS-N-9 Siren SS-N-12 Sandbox SS-NX-13 SS-N-14 Silex SS-N-15 Starfish SS-N-16 Stallion SS-N-17 Snipe SS-N-18 Stingray SS-N-19 Shipwreck SS-NX-20 Sturgeon SS-N-21 Sampson SS-N-22 Sunburn SS-N-23 Skiff R29RM SS-N-23A Skiff SS-N-23B Skiff SS-NX-24 Scorpion SS-N-25 Switchblade SS-N-26 Strobile SS-N-27 Sizzler SS-N-30A 3M-14 SS-NX-28 SS-N-29 SS-N-32 SS-NX-30? SS-NX-34

Russian and former Soviet military designation sequences for radar, missile and rocket systems

Radar
systems

Land-based	A-100 P-3 P-8 P-10 P-12 P-14 P-15 P-18 P-19 P-20 P-30 P-35 P-37 P-40 P-70 P-80 P-100 Kabina 66 Kasta 2E RSN-225 Azov SNR-75 1S91 30N6 36D6 64N6 76N6 96L6E 9S15 9S19 9S32 Duga Dnestr Dnepr Daryal Dunay Volga Don 2N Voronezh Container

Ship-borne

Airborne	N001 N002 N005 N006 N007 N008 N010 N011 N012 N014 N019 N025 N035 N036

Missiles

ICBM	GR-1 R-7 R-9 R-16 R-26 R-36 R-36M R-46 RS-24 RS-26 RT-2 RT-2PM RT-2PM2 RT-20 RT-21 RT-23 RS-28 UR-100 UR-100MR UR-100N UR-200

IRBM	R-14 RSD-10

MRBM	R-5 R-12 RT-15 RT-25

SRBM	9K720 R-1 R-2 R-11 R-11A R-17 OTR-21 OTR-23 TR-1

SLBM	R-13 R-15 R-21 R-27 R-29 R-39 RSM-45 RSM-56

Surface-to-surface (cruise)	Burya RSS-40

Surface-to-surface (naval)	P-1 P-5 P-15 P-70 P-120 P-270 P-500 P-700 P-750 P-800 P-900 P-900A P-1000 RKV-500A RPK-2 RPK-6 RPK-7 URPK-3 URPK-4 URPK-5

Air-to-surface	KSR-5 KS-1 K-10S Kh-11 Kh-15 Kh-20 Kh-22 Kh-23 Kh-25 Kh-25MP Kh-26 Kh-28 Kh-29 Kh-31 Kh-35 Kh-41 Kh-55 Kh-58 Kh-59 Kh-59M Kh-80 Kh-90 9M114V

Air-to-air	R-3 R-4 R-8 R-23 R-27 R-33 R-37 R-40 R-60 R-73 R-77 R-172

Anti-tank	3M6 9K111 9K112 9K114 9K115 9K115-2 9K121 9M14 9M15 9M113 9M119 9M120 9M123 9M133 Kornet-D Hermes

Unguided
rockets

Air-launched	RP-1 RP-5 RP-6 RP-9 RP-15 RP-21 RS-82 RS-132

Surface-launched	BM-14 BM-21 BM-24 BM-25 BM-27 BM-30 TOS-1

Engines

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