The RPK-2 Vyuga (, ''

blizzard A blizzard is a severe Winter storm, snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow th ...

'';

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: SS-N-15 Starfish), also designated as 81R, is a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

surface- or submarine-launched, nuclear-armed

anti-submarine missile An anti-submarine missile is a standoff missile, standoff anti-submarine weapon, often a specialized variant of anti-ship missile. Anti-submarine missiles usually include a jet engine, jet or rocket engine, rocket engine and a warhead aimed di ...

system, launched exclusively through

torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

s. The system was designed in Sverdlovsk,

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

in the 1960s. Analogous to the SUBROC missile previously used by the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, it is designed to be fired from a 533 mm torpedo tube. It is boosted by a choice of mechanisms depending on model before clearing the water, firing a

solid fuel Solid fuel refers to various forms of solid material that can be burnt to release energy, providing heat and light through the process of combustion. Solid fuels can be contrasted with liquid fuels and gaseous fuels. Common examples of solid fu ...

rocket and delivering its payload up to away. The payload ranges from a simple

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 ...

to a 200 kt

nuclear depth bomb A nuclear depth bomb is the nuclear equivalent of a conventional depth charge, and can be used in anti-submarine warfare for attacking submerged submarines. The Royal Navy, Soviet Navy, and United States Navy all had nuclear depth bombs in th ...

Design

The RPK-2 uses a 82R

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...

or 90R nuclear depth charge in the 533 mm version, and a 83R torpedo carrying or 86R nuclear depth charge in 650 mm version. Both submarine- and surface-launched versions exist. The surface-launched versions are used by the , , and classes. The submarine-launched versions are used by the , , , , , and classes. However, the munition package used in either is identical and hence the ship-launched version is launched into the water and submerges before firing its engines.

Operators

; ;

External links

Encyclopedia Astronautica

Cold War submarine-launched cruise missiles of the Soviet Union RPK-002 Anti-submarine missiles of the Soviet Union Military equipment introduced in the 1960s {{Missile-stub

Design

Operators

See also

External links