What are the characteristics of Russian granite SS-N- 19 ship-to-ship missiles?

"Granite" (SS-N- 19) ship-to-ship missile is an improved version of SS-N- 1979 supersonic anti-ship missile, which can be launched from surface ships or submarines with a range of 500 kilometers. The flying speed at high altitude is 3250 km/h, and the terminal flying speed is as high as 4550 km/h. The missile has a unique attack mode, which can attack targets with high and low ballistics, and can be launched by a single missile or by multiple volleys.

Among the missiles launched at one time, 1 is used as a "command missile" with a flying height of 25,000m, and the target data can be transmitted to other missiles flying at low altitude through the inter-missile data link, so as to maintain the concealment of low-altitude missiles. Once the "command bomb" was shot down, another missile immediately rose to take charge of continuing "command". After entering the enemy's field of vision, the bombs scattered and opened the seeker for terminal attack. Since its development, the details of the "Granite" missile have been kept strictly confidential by Russia. Today, with the gradual decline of Russian military power, maritime attack and maintaining maritime superiority are the "trump cards" of the Russian navy. It was not until the Russian navy "Kursk" nuclear submarine sank while participating in the Northern Fleet exercise in the Barents Sea that its "granite" anti-ship missile had to be unveiled.

SS-N- 19 is the third generation anti-ship missile of Soviet Union, and it is a large supersonic anti-ship missile propelled by rocket ramjet engine. SS-N- 19 has a total length of10.5m and a weight of 6.98 tons. It can be launched from a vertical launcher with a maximum range of 500-550 kilometers and a maximum flight speed of 2080 kilometers per hour. It can be equipped with a 500kT equivalent nuclear warhead or a 750 kg high explosive warhead. SS-N- 19 adopts inertial/command correction/active radar guidance. In over-the-horizon attack, the data link of satellite or ship-borne Ka-25 helicopter can be used for relay guidance.

At that time, SS-N- 19 was very advanced, and there was no need for ship control after launch. In the multiple "ripple-launch" saturation attack mode, the first guided missile first flies to the combat target according to the high flight path, while other subsequent missiles flexibly adopt the low flight path to increase concealment. If the guided missile is intercepted, other missiles will automatically undertake the guidance task.

"SS-N-19' Granite' supersonic anti-ship missile was developed by the Cheromi Design Bureau of the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Guided by active radar and infrared positioning, it cruises at a speed of 3250 km/h and can carry nuclear warheads or conventional warheads.

"When the Soviet Union was fighting granite, there were several launch schemes. A typical example is that several missiles are fired at intervals, one missile flies in high orbit to better capture the target, and the other missiles follow in low orbit. During the whole cruise, the participating missiles share the launching elements, and these missiles will constantly correct their flight paths. If the lead bomb is destroyed, the follow-up bomb will follow immediately and become the lead bomb until the attack is completed. Although this relay attack has not been tested in actual combat, the Soviet Union has never failed in the target test. In order to get rid of all kinds of electronic interference, ships simply don't control granite after launching it, but let their own systems work independently (note: it is said that marine surveillance satellites or helicopters are used for relay guidance). Various experiments in the Soviet Union show that "granite" basically refers to where it can be hit within a range of 550 kilometers or even more, no matter what human and natural interference. Granite was developed on the basis of SS-N- 12, and all the problems of SS-N- 12 have been solved. "

The conventional warhead of SS-N- 19 is equipped with explosive charge by hitting one round, which can disable a large warship. At such a large flight speed (close to the general cannon), the warhead using the semi-armor-piercing mechanism (passing through the hull and delaying the explosion inside) is completely fatal to modern aircraft carriers and cruisers without armor protection, even if the impact force alone may lead to the loss of combat effectiveness. Modern ship-borne air defense missile systems, such as "Standard-Aegis" of the United States, are limited by the range of guided radar. Because of the curvature of the earth and ocean clutter, its range is difficult to exceed tens of kilometers.