Missile P-15 Termit (SS-N-2 Styx)

The P-15 Termit, designated 4K40 by the GRAU and SS-N-2 Styx by NATO, was developed in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. The system was designed to provide small vessels with striking power comparable to a battleship salvo. This development allowed for the deployment of numerous missile-armed boats instead of relying on a limited number of heavy gun-armed cruisers. The airframe design was based on the Yak-1000 experimental fighter.

The missile features a cylindrical body with a rounded nose, two delta wings, and three tail control surfaces. Propulsion is provided by a liquid-propellant rocket engine using acid fuel, supplemented by a solid-propellant booster. The P-15U variant introduced folding wings to facilitate the use of smaller launch containers. Guidance is provided by an inertial navigation system for the mid-course phase, while terminal homing is conducted via an active radar sensor with conical scanning. Some versions utilize infrared homing. The weapon is equipped with a high-explosive shaped charge warhead. Unburned liquid fuel remaining at the time of impact provides an additional incendiary effect. The missile's flight pattern involves cruising above sea level and descending toward the target once the onboard sensor activates. Operational limitations include a fuselage susceptible to acid fuel corrosion and a restricted temperature range for launches.

The P-15 was widely deployed and exported, with variants produced in China, North Korea, and Iraq. Launch platforms include missile boats, corvettes, frigates, destroyers, and coastal batteries. The system was first deployed during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1967, during the War of Attrition, Egyptian missile boats used the system to sink the Israeli destroyer Eilat. During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, Indian Navy vessels sank the destroyer Khaibar and other ships; the conflict also saw the first use of the missile against land targets when Indian forces struck oil tanks in Karachi. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the missile was used by Egyptian and Syrian forces but was countered by electronic jamming and chaff. Both sides employed P-15 variants during the Iran-Iraq War against naval vessels and oil tankers. In the 1991 Gulf War, Iraqi forces fired Silkworm variants at Coalition ships, with one missile intercepted by a Sea Dart missile. Current operators include Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Libya, North Korea, China, Romania, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam.

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