The SS-N-22 "Sunburn" Untangled

Quite a bit of confusion surrounds the Russian missiles with the NATO designation SS-N-22 "Sunburn". The confusion arose when the then Soviet Union developed two different missiles that were fired from externally identical containers. Ships of the same class used both missiles, compounding the confusion. Few in the West realized that the SS-N-22 was actually two missiles until after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The first "SS-N-22" was Chelomei's P-80. It is rocket powered, and carries a 250 kg warhead. It armed the first Sovremennyy class destroyers and Tarantul class corvettes. The closely related P-100 arms some Russian submarines.

The second "SS-N-22" was Raduga's P-270 Moskit. It is ramjet powered (though a solid rocket booster is used for launch), and carries a 300 kg warhead. Its data link to the launching ship reportedly is simpler than P-80's. It arms later Sovremennyy class destroyers, Tarantul class corvettes, and several smaller warships.

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