SA-N-3

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SA-N-3 launcher on a Kresta II class cruiser.

The 4K60/4K65 M-11 "Shtorm" (Russian Шторм - Storm, NATO reporting name) SA-N-3 "Goblet" is a Russian naval surface-to-air missile system. The system was first installed on the Moskva, a anti-submarine warfare carrier, which was commissioned in 1967, but the system was not officially accepted into service until 1969. Unusually for such systems, it has no land-based counterpart. It was only deployed on Russian vessels, and was never fired in anger.

[edit] Development

Development of the M-11 Storm system was first authorised on 25 July 1959. Work was carried out by Scientific Research Institute 10 (NII-10) that was also working on the SA-N-1 system. It was originally intended to be installed on the Project 1126 warship, but both the ship and missile system were cancelled in June 1961. However, the missile project was re-activated only a month later for installation in the Project 1123 Moskva class helicopter carrier. The design was completed in April 1962, and included a modified version of the ZIF-101 launcher, that was used with the SA-N-1 missile system. The launcher design proved to be impractical, the resulting redesign delayed production of prototypes until 1964.

Between 1964 and 1966 sea-trials were conducted on the missile testbed OS-24 which had previously been the heavy cruiser Voroshilov. The system was installed on the Moskva, which was commissioned on 25 December 1967, but development continued until 1969 when it was officially accepted into service.

[edit] Description

SA-N-3 launcher on the aircraft carrier Kiev.

The 4K60/41K65 missiles are carried in pairs on rotating twin rail launchers and fly at between Mach 2 and 3. They are 6.1 m (20 ft) long, weigh 845 kg (1863 lb) each with an 80 kg (176 lb) warheads. The effective altitude is around 100-25000 m (328-82,000 ft) and the earlier missiles have an engagement range of 3-30 km (2-19 miles) while the 41K65 extends the maximum range to 55 km (34 miles). Guidance is via radio command with terminal semi-active radar homing (SARH).

The radar associated with the SA-N-3 is known as "Head Lights", often found in conjunction with a "Top Sail" search radar.

The initial version of this system, the 4K60 M-11 "Shtorm" with V611 missiles is known to the US DoD as the SA-N-3A. The upgraded version is the 4K65 "Shtorm-M" with V611M missiles and is designated the SA-N-3B.

[edit] Variants

SA-N-3A 4K60 Shtorm V611 - Initial version
SA-N-3B 4K65 Shtorm-M V611M - Improved version

[edit] Installations

A total of 25 systems were produced and installed on the following classes of ships:

Moskva class aircraft carriers - two twin B-189 launchers, each fed from twin six round drum magazines, for a total of 24 missiles.
Kara class guided missile destroyers - four B-189 twin launchers, each fed from twin six round drum magazines,. 80 missiles total.
Kresta II class guided missile cruisers - two twin launchers. 72 missiles total.
Kiev class aircraft carrier - two twin launchers.