Missile 3M54-1 Kalibr (SS-N-27 Sizzler)

The 3M54-1 Kalibr is a Russian family of cruise missiles that entered service in 1994. It was designed as a modular system capable of being launched from surface ships, submarines, and aircraft to engage maritime and land-based targets.

The system utilizes a multi-stage propulsion design, typically consisting of a solid-fuel rocket booster and a turbojet engine. Certain variants incorporate a terminal propulsion stage to initiate a supersonic sprint during the final approach, while other versions remain subsonic to prioritize range. The missile employs inertial guidance supplemented by terminal active radar homing and satellite navigation. For land-attack missions, the system utilizes GLONASS to achieve target accuracy. Warhead options include conventional high-explosive, nuclear, and thermonuclear payloads. Launch configurations vary by platform; surface vessels utilize vertical launching systems with thrust-vectoring boosters, while submarine-launched versions are deployed via torpedo tubes. The air-launched version is released from a container that detaches upon ignition. A containerized variant, designated Club-K, is designed for operation from standard shipping containers mounted on trucks, rail platforms, or merchant vessels.

The Russian Navy has widely deployed the Kalibr across its fleet, including Kilo, Lada, Akula, Oscar II, and Yasen-class submarines, as well as several classes of frigates and corvettes. International operators include Algeria, India, Vietnam, and China, with Iran identified as a potential user. The missile saw its first combat use in October 2015 during the Syrian Civil War, when vessels in the Caspian Sea launched 26 missiles against targets in Raqqa, Aleppo, and Idlib. Subsequent operations involved launches from both surface ships and submarines in the Mediterranean against infrastructure and militant positions, including an engagement in 2015 from an Improved Kilo-class submarine. Since February 2022, the system has been used extensively in the invasion of Ukraine to strike command centers, airfields, air-defense batteries, and energy infrastructure. Notable operational incidents include strikes on Vinnytsia and Odesa, recorded violations of Moldovan airspace, and reported involvement in explosions in northern Crimea.

🇨🇳 China • 🇩🇿 Algeria • 🇮🇳 India • 🇮🇷 Iran • 🇷🇺 Russia • 🇻🇳 Vietnam