RPK-1 Vikhr

The RPK-1 Vikhr NATO reporting name SUW-N-1 (Russian: РПК-1 «Вихрь» - meaning Whirlwind) was a Soviet nuclear anti submarine missile system. FRAS-1 was the NATO code for the missile round itself.

RPK-1 Vikhr (NATO code SUW-N-1 or FRAS-1)
SUW-N-1 missile launcher on the aircraft carrier Minsk
TypeStandoff anti-submarine ballistic missile
Place of originUSSR
Service history
In service1968
Used bySoviet Navy
Specifications
Mass1800 kg
Length6.0 m
Diameter0.54 m
Warhead10 kt (42 TJ) nuclear depth bomb
EngineSolid propellant rocket motor
Operational
range
10–24 km
Maximum speed Mach 1.8
Launch
platform
Moskva class and Kiev class aircraft carriers

The development of the missile was ordered in 1960 in order to combat the new American nuclear submarines. The requirement was for an all weather weapon capable of reaching out to 20 km at speed. The first test was in 1964 and the system was installed on the Moskva class helicopter cruisers in 1967. The system was also installed on the Kiev class aircraft carriers. The systems were decommissioned in the 1990s.

Launchers

There were two models of launcher:

  • MS-18 used in the Moskva class - a two arm launcher with a rotary magazine holding 8 missiles
  • MS-32 used in the Kiev class - a two arm launcher with two rotary magazines holding 16 missiles

A prototype launcher was mounted on the Petya class frigate SKR-1 for testing in 1964[1]

Missile

The missile was a two-stage rocket with inertial guidance, which could not be corrected after launch. The missile carried a nuclear depth bomb warhead of up to 10 kilotons in yield. The warhead could detonate at a depth of up to 200 m and had a lethal radius of 1.2 to 1.5 km against a submarine target.

Fire Control

The ships fitted with the RPK-1 had the Sprut fire control system (PUSTB-1123), which was developed by CDB-209 [2] and included:

  • A central control unit, (TSPUS)
  • The Tiphon fire control computer
  • Gyro stabilisers
  • Link to the sonar system
  • Remote power control of the launcher

See also

References
  1. Page from Military Russia
  • This page is translated from the Russian Language Wikipedia
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