The S3V Zagon is a guided but un-propelled

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

developed by the Russian firm

Tactical Missiles Corporation JSC Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) (, КТРВ) is a major Russian holding company for the manufacturers of military weapons (especially missiles), headquartered in Korolyov, Moscow Oblast. History Tactical Missiles Corporation was found ...

. It was first unveiled at the 1992

MAKS Airshow MAKS (, ) is an international air show held at Zhukovsky International Airport, the home of the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast, Zhukovsky, southeast of Moscow, Russia. The event was organized by the Russian Ministr ...

as part of a marketing effort which resulted in China purchasing the weapon. On 13 February 2017, the Zagon-2 version entered production for the

Russian Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (; MOD) is the governing body of the Russian Armed Forces. The President of Russia is the Commander-in-Chief of the forces and directs the activity of the ministry. The Minister of Defence exerci ...

. China unveiled a similar unnamed weapon in 2020.

Description

The S3V is an aerially deployed weapon, with a parachute system detached at the moment of splashdown. The sonar mounted in the nose is activated upon entering the water, searching for hostile submarines. It directs its control surfaces to maneuver the depth charge toward the target once it is located and identified. The developer has claimed that the S3V is around 1.2 to 1.6 times more effective than conventional unguided depth charges in shallow water (≤ 200 meters) and around 4 to 8 times more effective in deep water (up to 600 meters). The weapon is usually deployed by

Tu-142 The Tupolev Tu-142 (142; NATO reporting name: Bear F/J) is a Soviet/Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communications variant designated '' ...

Il-38 The Ilyushin Il-38 (nicknamed Dolphin) (NATO reporting name: May) is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. Design and devel ...

and

Ka-27 The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name 'Helix') is a military helicopter developed for the Soviet Navy, and as of 2024 is in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka- ...

aircraft.

Specifications

Operators

; :

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

; :

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

References

S3V Zagon-1
{{Chinese Torpedoes Torpedoes of China Torpedoes of Russia Naval weaponry of the People's Republic of China Anti-submarine missiles of Russia