Russia has revamped its supersonic anti-ship Onyx missile to facilitate ground assaults. Previously exclusive to maritime warfare, it can now engage land targets. Initially, the missile was part of the K-300P Bastion-P coastal defense system.
Russia has now added a new active seeker head to it, signifying that the missile can damage aerial targets in addition to ground ones. These missiles have been deployed in Crimea, where they have been striking targets in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions with precision.
Source: aajtak
Ukraine is employing electronic warfare to counter this missile threat by disabling GPS and jamming networks. Despite this, the missile continues to strike Ukrainian targets unerringly. The Onyx missile is also known as Yakhont and SS-N-26 Strobile.
The missile, weighing 3,000 kilograms, with a diameter of 2.3 feet and a length of about 29.2 feet, can carry 300-kilogram semi-armor-piercing high-explosive or thermonuclear warheads. This enables targeted attacks on buildings, tanks, and armored vehicles. Thermonuclear warhead capability signifies its potential to be equipped with nuclear weapons.
Source: aajtak
BrahMos, a known variant, is built on this missile platform. Out of its seven versions, one is the acclaimed BrahMos, showcasing a range from 120 to 600 kilometers. The missile can ascend up to a height of 46,000 feet and is challenging to track, as it flies just 32 feet above ground or sea level.
This missile's speed is a staggering 3180 km/hr and it can alter its course en route to the target, ensuring it can intercept even moving targets with an accuracy of 1.5 meters. Consequently, even near-miss impacts create devastating results.
Source: aajtak
Its fire-and-forget technology is advantageous, as it stays just above the sea surface, making it difficult to track. With high super-sonic speed throughout its trajectory, this missile can launch from land, air, and sea.
