Missile P-800 Oniks (SS-N-26 Strobile)

The P-800 Oniks, designated 3M55 and identified by the NATO codename SS-N-26 "Strobile," originated in the Soviet Union as a ramjet derivative of the P-80 Zubr. Development began in 1983, with trials conducted on the Project 1234.7 ship during the 1990s. The system entered service in 2002 and serves as a replacement for the P-270 Moskit and P-700 Granit.

The system is a supersonic cruise missile designed for anti-ship and land-attack roles. It is compatible with coastal installations, surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. Propulsion is provided by a ramjet engine using jet fuel. Guidance is achieved through a midcourse inertial system and a terminal all-weather active-passive radar seeker. The seeker utilizes frequency hopping and is designed for immunity to active spoofing and dipole clouds. The missile employs a variable flight profile, cruising at high altitudes before descending to a sea-skimming trajectory for the terminal approach. For domestic use, warhead options include semi-armor-piercing high explosive or thermonuclear variants, while export models utilize a semi-armor-piercing high explosive warhead. Recent variants include a modified active homing head for increased precision against terrestrial targets.

The Russian Federation has deployed the P-800 across its naval fleets, including the Black Sea, Northern, Baltic, and Pacific commands. It is a component of the Bastion-P mobile coastal defense system and is carried by Yasen-class submarines, frigates, and corvettes. The system has been exported to Indonesia, Vietnam, and Syria. Hezbollah is also reported to possess the missile, though reports indicate a reliance on external support for its operation.

In combat, the P-800 was used during the Syrian Civil War against ISIL targets. In 2013, a storage site in Latakia was targeted by an Israeli airstrike. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the missile has been used to strike targets in the Odesa region, including military equipment and helicopters. Ukrainian military sources have reported that the missile's velocity and terminal flight profile make interception difficult for available air defense systems, though electronic warfare has been employed as a countermeasure. Data indicates that a small percentage of launched missiles have been successfully intercepted.