Russia: Soviet/Russian Naval Nuclear Weapons

To return to the main SSBN entry, see the Strategic Naval Deterrent Overview file.

Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)

*Under the START I Treaty all SS-N-18 SLBMs are classified as equipped with three warheads; the MIRV buses on on the MOD. III version of the SS-N-18 were replaced with new ones, capable of carrying only three warheads.
Sources:
[1] P. Podvig, ed., Strategicheskoye yadernoye vooruzheniye Rossii (Moscow: IzDat, 1998), pp. 253-288.
[2] Oruzhiye Rossii, Vol. 6 (Moscow: Voyennyy parad, 1997), pp. 319-328.
[3] A. Shirokorad, "Rakety nad morem," Tekhnika i oruzhiye, No. 2, 1996; as cited in P. Podvig, ed., Strategicheskoye yadernoye vooruzheniye Rossii (Moscow: IzDat, 1998), pp. 276-288.
[4] A.M. Petrov, D. A. Aseyev, E.M. Vasilev et al., Oruzhiye rossiyskogo flota (St. Petersburg: Sudostroyeniye, 1996); as cited in P. Podvig, ed., Strategicheskoye yadernoye vooruzheniye Rossii (Moscow: IzDat, 1998), pp. 276-288.
[5] T. Cochran, W. Arkin, R. Norris, J. Sands, Soviet Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapons Databook, Vol. 4 (New York: Ballinger, 1988); as cited in P. Podvig, ed., Strategicheskoye yadernoye vooruzheniye Rossii (Moscow: IzDat, 1998), pp. 276-288.
[6] B. Makeyev, "Morskiye rakety," in Aleksandr Pikayev, ed., Raketnaya moshch Rossii: proshloye i nastoyashcheye, (Moscow: Komitet po kriticheskim tekhnologiyam i nerasprostraneniyu, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 1995), pp. 45-81.
[7] G.G.Kostev, "Morskiye strategicheskiye. Stranitsy istorii i razvitiya," Morskoy sbornik, No. 10, 1994, pp. 6-12; as cited in P. Podvig, ed., Strategicheskoye yadernoye vooruzheniye Rossii (Moscow: IzDat, 1998), p. 282.
[8] Aleksandr Shirokorad, Sovetskiye podvodnyye lodki poslevoyennoy postroyki, (Moscow: Arsenal-press, 1997), pp. 3-18.
[9] A.S. Pavlov, Voyenno-morskoy flot Rossii 1996 g., (Yakutsk, 1996), pp. 130-133.
[10] V.P. Kuzin, V.I. Nikolskiy, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR 1945-1991, (St. Petersburg: Istoricheskoye Morskoye Obshchestvo, 1996), pp. 46-72, 318-336, 374-382.{Updated 5/8/2000 CC} {Updated 1/17/2001 MJ}

Soviet/Russian Naval Tactical Nuclear Weapons

All naval tactical nuclear weapons were removed from Russian warships in 1992 following the 5 October 1991 declaration by Mikhail Gorbachev.

Land-Attack Cruise Missiles

Nuclear-Capable Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles

Soviet/Russian designation	P-35/-6 Progress-M	4K66, P-20M/P-70 Ametist	4K85, P-120 Malakhit	4K80, P-500 Bazalt	P-700 Granit	3M80, P-270 Moskit	P-1000 Vulkan
NATO designation	SS-N-3 'Shaddock'	SS-N-7 'Starbright'	SS-N-9 'Siren'	SS-N-12 'Sandbox'	SS-N-19 'Shipwreck'	SS-N-22 'Sunburn'
Design bureau [5,7]	OKB-52 (Chelomey)	Chelomey	Chelomey	Chelomey	Chelomey	MKB Raduga	Chelomey
Year entered service	1962	1968	1972	1976	1980	1980	See notes
Guidance [7]	Radio command with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing	Inertial with terminal radar homing
Launch weight (kg) [5]	4,500/5,200	2,900	5,400	6,200	7,000	3,950
Range (km)	350/450	80	110	550	550	120	700-1000 (estimated)
Speed (Mach)	1.3	0.9	0.9	1.7	1.6	2.5	2+
Propulsion	Turbojet	Solid fuel rocket	Solid fuel rocket	Turbojet	Turbojet	Ramjet	Turbojet
Payload [5,6,7]	930kg high explosive or 20kt nuclear	500kg high explosive, unknown nuclear.	500kg high explosive or 200kt nuclear.	1000kg high explosive or 500kg nuclear.	750kg high explosive or 500kt nuclear.	300kg high explosive or 200kt nuclear.	Both nuclear and  conventional versions were planned
Launch platforms	The Shaddock was carried by Pr. 58 (Kynda) and Pr. 1134 (Kresta I) cruisers, as well as Pr. 675 (Echo II), Pr. 651 (Juliet) and modified Pr. 613 (Whiskey)  submarines. Only coastal defense version remains in service.	Pr. 670A (Charlie I), Pr. 661 (Papa) submarines.	Pr. 670M (Charlie II) submarines	Carried by Kiev-class carriers, Slava-class missile cruisers, and modified Echo II submarines.	The SS-N-19 is carried by Oscar I/II  submarines (24 missiles in slanted launch tubes outside of pressure hull),  Kirov heavy cruisers (20 missiles), and Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier (12 missiles).	Sovremennyy and Udaloy II destroyers, Tarantul III and Dergach  missile corvettes.  In 1991, a total of 200 missiles were thought to be in service aboard 14 Sovremenny destroyers and 18 Tarantul III missile corvettes.
Notes	First generation cruise missile. P-6 submarine (surface launch only) variant, P-35 surface ship  variant, P-5 nuclear land attack submarine variant. Also deployed as part of mobile ground launched  "Redut" [NATO des. SS-C-1  'Sepal'] coast defense system.			Second generation Soviet cruise missile, an evolutionary improvement over the SS-N-3. Surface launch only.	Capable of submerged launch. A third generation Russian anti-ship cruise missile system.	Air-launched version with range of 250 km was developed but not deployed. Available for export, with China being the first, and as of early 2001 the only,  customer.	Although the missile was reportedly accepted into service in 1987 after tests using converted Echo II-class submarines and was to arm modified Slava-class cruisers and some submarine types, no vessel carrying this missile appears to have become operational.

Sources:
[1] Ted Flaherty, Center for Defense Information Nuclear Weapons Database, http://www.cdi.org/issues/nukef&f/database/rusnukes.html#88.
[2] B. Makeyev, "Morskiye rakety," in Aleksandr Pikayev, ed., Raketnaya moshch Rossii: proshloye i nastoyashcheye, (Moscow: Komitet po kriticheskim tekhnologiyam i nerasprostraneniyu, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 1995), pp. 70-74.
[3] Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996-7, p. 545, as cited in Ted Flaherty, Center for Defense Information Nuclear Weapons Database, http://www.cdi.org/issues/nukef&f/database/rusnukes.html#88.
[4] "SS-N-22 'Sunburn,'" Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, as cited in Ted Flaherty, Center for Defense Information Nuclear Weapons Database, http://www.cdi.org/issues/nukef&f/database/rusnukes.html#88.
[5] Aleksandr Shirokorad, Sovetskiye podvodnyye lodki poslevoyennoy postroyki, (Moscow: Arsenal-press, 1997), pp. 3-18.
[6] A.S. Pavlov, Voyenno-morskoy flot Rossii 1996 g., (Yakutsk, 1996), pp. 130-133.
[7] V.P. Kuzin, V.I. Nikolskiy, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR 1945-1991, (St. Petersburg: Istoricheskoye Morskoye Obshchestvo, 1996), pp. 46-72, 318-336, 374-382. {Updated 1/17/2001 MJ}

Soviet/Russian Nuclear-Capable Torpedoes and Anti-Submarine Missiles

Until the Shkval rocket-propelled torpedo entered service, the only nuclear torpedo in Soviet service that did not have a conventional variant was the 53-58, which was withdrawn from service after a limited production run due to reliability and performance problems. Since the early 1960s the Russian Navy has used standardized torpedo nuclear warheads capable of being fitted to service torpedoes in lieu of conventional warheads. The chart below lists the characteristics of a select number of recent Soviet/Russian torpedo designs to illustrate their potential performance and is intended to be representative rather than comprehensive.

Nuclear-Capable Torpedoes

Nuclear-Capable Anti-Submarine Missiles

Sources:
[1] Aleksandr Shirokorad, Sovetskiye podvodnyye lodki poslevoyennoy postroyki, (Moscow: Arsenal-press, 1997), pp. 3-18.
[2] A.S. Pavlov, Voyenno-morskoy flot Rossii 1996 g., (Yakutsk, 1996), pp. 130-133.
[3] V.P. Kuzin, V.I. Nikolskiy, Voyenno-morskoy flot SSSR 1945-1991, (St. Petersburg: Istoricheskoye Morskoye Obshchestvo, 1996), pp. 46-72, 318-336, 374-382. {Updated 1/17/2001 MJ}

Last updated 3 April 2001
For major recent developments, see the General Nuclear Weapons Developments file.

Comments or questions? E-mail Nikolai Sokov:  nsokovATmiis.edu.

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This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2003 by MIIS.

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