SS-N-7
Encyclopedia
The P-70 Ametist was an anti-shipping missile carried by Soviet Charlie-I submarines
Charlie class submarine
The Charlie class submarine is a nuclear powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy.-Background:...

 and Papa class submarine
Papa class submarine
Soviet submarine K-162 was the world's fastest submarine. The first submarine constructed with a titanium hull, she was the only vessel of the Soviet Union's Project 661 Anchar nuclear-powered attack submarine design. The boat is best known in the West by its NATO reporting name Papa class...

. A sub-launched version of the SS-N-2 'Styx', it was soon succeeded by the P-120 Malakhit (SS-N-9 'Siren').

Development

The P-5 Pyatyorka (SS-N-3A 'Shaddock') missile required the Echo class submarine
Echo class submarine
The Echo class submarines were nuclear cruise missile submarines of the Soviet Navy built during the 1960s. Their Soviet designation was Project 659 class for the first five vessels, and Project 675 for the following twenty-nine...

s carrying them to spend 30 minutes or more on the surface when firing. This made submarines very vulnerable to enemy attack, so in the 1960s the Soviets started work on a new missile that could be fired whilst submerged, and a submarine to carry it. These became the P-120 Malakhit (SS-N-9 'Siren') and Charlie class submarine
Charlie class submarine
The Charlie class submarine is a nuclear powered cruise missile submarine built for the Soviet Navy and later operated by the Russian Navy.-Background:...

.

However, problems with the engines of the supersonic P-120 Malakhit forced the Soviets to design a sub-launched missile based on the P-15M Termit
P-15 Termit
The P-15 Termit is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was Styx or SS-N-2. In Russian service today it also seems to be called the Rubezh...

 (SS-N-2C 'Styx') as a stopgap measure for the first batch of Charlie submarines. This became the P-20L, later renamed the P-70 Ametist.

Design

The P-15M was fitted with an L band
L band
L band refers to four different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum: 40 to 60 GHz , 1 to 2 GHz , 1565 nm to 1625 nm , and around 3.5 micrometres .-NATO L band:...

sensor and a new altimeter radar both developed for the 'Siren', but there was no room for a datalink in the smaller 'Styx'. Folding wings were added to reduce the size of the missile, and the missile can be launched at a maximum depth of 30 meter.

The short range of the P-70 meant that it did not need mid-course updates from a radar on the submarine, so it could be fired whilst submerged. This more than made up for its lack of range compared to the 'Shaddock'.

Operational history

The P-70 went into service with the Soviet Navy on the first Charlie I, on June 3, 1968. About 200 were produced.

India leased the Chakra, a Soviet Charlie I submarine from January 1988 to 1992, to gain experience of operating a nuclear submarine.

External links

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