MOSCOW, (BM) – The P-800 Oniks is one of the most deadly anti-ship missiles today. Western designation of this missile is SS-N-26 Strobile. Despite this, there is little information to be had about this powerful weapon.
Development of the P-800 began in 1983. It became operational in the early 2000s. So far, it has been mostly used on land or in submarines, although some sources state that it is also mounted on certain naval vessels or airplanes as well.
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There are several other operation versions of the missile. It is used in the mobile Bastion-P coastal defense missile system. Its design was also used for the joint Russian-Indian BRAHMOS cruise missile.
In 2017 the P-800 Oniks missiles were fitted on single Russian Oscar II class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine. It is planned that more of these Russian submarines will be refitted to carry Oniks missiles until 2020.
The P-800 has an effective guidance system. It is fire-and-forget, which basically means that the launch platform can run to safety after launching the missile. At the beginning of its flight, the P-800 uses satellite guidance, and towards the end, it actively tracks its target with radar. This guidance works so well that the P-800 has a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of just 1.5 meters.
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The P-800 has two different ways to approach its targets. It can fly just above the sea the whole way, which decreases its range to 120 kilometers but reduces its radar visibility. Or, it can start out flying high and dive towards the target. This method gives the P-800 a maximum range of 300 km. Some sources also state that the P-800 Oniks, the non-export version, has a range of 600 km. However, there is no solid evidence for this.
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Source: Military Today and YouTube