RK-55

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Russian surface and submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile

title: "RK-55" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nuclear-cruise-missiles-of-the-soviet-union", "surface-to-surface-missiles-of-russia", "surface-to-surface-missiles-of-the-soviet-union", "npo-novator-products", "military-equipment-introduced-in-the-1980s", "cruise-missiles-of-the-cold-war"] description: "Russian surface and submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile" topic_path: "geography/russia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RK-55" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Russian surface and submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox weapon"]

Field	Value
is_missile	yes
name	RK-55 Relief
(NATO reporting name: SSC-X-4 'Slingshot')
S-10 Granat (SS-N-21 'Sampson')
image	SS-C-4 Slingshot.JPEG
image_size	300
caption	RK-55 transporter erector launcher
origin	Soviet Union
type	surface/sub-launched nuclear cruise missile
used_by	Soviet Union / Russia
designer	L. V. Lyulev, Novator NPP Temp, Raduga
design_date	1975
manufacturer	Novator, NPP Temp, Raduga MKB, KhAZ (Kharkiv), others?
production_date	1976
service	since 1984
engine	Solid-propellant rocket booster + R-95-300 or 36MT-37 turbofan
engine_power	450 kgf
weight	1700 kg
length	809 cm
diameter	51 cm
wingspan	310 cm
speed	720 km/h
vehicle_range	3000 km
filling	Conventional
Nuclear
yield	Nuclear 200kt
guidance	Sprut inertial guidance plus TERCOM
launch_platform	, Sierra II, Victor III, Yankee Notch, and s, TEL
::

The Novator RK-55 Relief ( 'Relief'; NATO: SSC-X-4 'Slingshot'; GRAU: 3K12) is a Russian Navy cruise missile that is launched either from submarines (SLCM) or from surface ships. It can have a nuclear warhead developed in the Soviet Union. A version launched from submarine torpedo tubes, the S-10 Granat ('''SS-N-21 'Sampson''''; GRAU: 3K10), has apparently been converted to carry conventional warheads and continues in service to this day. The Russian Federation was reported to have deployed the derivative SS-CX-7/SS-CX-8 systems on 14 February 2017. The land launched version is called the Novator 9M729.

The RK-55 is very similar to the air-launched Kh-55 (AS-15 'Kent') but the Kh-55 has a drop-down turbofan engine and was designed by MKB Raduga. Both have formed the basis of post-Cold-War missiles, in particular the 3M-54 Kalibr which has a supersonic approach phase.

Development

In the late 1960s, the "Ekho" study conducted by the GosNIIAS institute concluded that it would be more effective to deploy many small, subsonic cruise missiles than the much more expensive supersonic missiles then in favour. In 1971 Raduga began working on the air-launched Kh-55, which first flew in 1976. That same year, RK-55 first flew. NPO Novator would work on the submarine- and ground-launched versions. In 1993 Novator exhibited the Sizzler series weapons, which appears to be based on the RK-55. It is a two-stage design, which goes supersonic during its final approach to the target.

Design

The S-10 is launched through 533 mm torpedo tubes.

Operational history

Fewer than 100 RK-55s had been deployed by the end of 1988. The new was the first class to receive the new missile. It was later fitted on the Sierra I/II and Victor III classes and the new s.

Four s deployed in 1988 are of a design of particular note, replacing the missile compartment with additional torpedo tubes for 35-40 land attack cruise missiles. They were probably nuclear-tipped S-10s during the Cold War, and then converted to use conventional warheads after the START I treaty restricted sub-launched nuclear cruise missiles. The US Navy has done the same on a grander scale with the SSGN conversions of four s. It has been suggested that S-10's could in future be fitted to converted s, or to surface ships, but these have not been confirmed.

Variants

RK-55 (SSC-X-4 'Slingshot') – ground-based version
S-10 (SS-N-21 'Sampson') – submarine-launched version
9M728 and 9M729 (SSC-7 and SSC-8 'Screwdriver') – ground-based version, assessed range 480 -, nuclear capable

Conventional unitary High Explosive (HE) warhead and submunition warhead versions of the RK-55 have probably been developed, to justify the continuing service of the submarines that carry them.

Operators

Former

Derivatives

Korshun (Luch Artem - KhAZ - Vizar ZhMZ - Yuzhnoe Pivdenmash) with MS400 (Ivchenko Progres Motor Sich) engine.

Similar weapons

Ground Launched Cruise Missile (BGM-109G Gryphon) - land-based Tomahawk with tactical nuclear warhead of 10-50 kt and 2000–2500 km range
Pershing 1b and Pershing II RR - 740 km range ballistic missile also in testing at the time of the INF Treaty.
Raduga Kh-55 - originally thought in the West to be an air-launched version of the RK-55, now has tactical versions such as the Kh-555 and the stealthy Kh-101.
UGM-109 Tomahawk - the Capsule Launch System allows Tomahawks to be fired from torpedo tubes or dedicated submarine launch tubes

References

SIPRI (1989) p16
"SS-N-21 "Sampson" (RK-55)".
(2009-09-09). "Kh-55 (AS-15 'Kent'/Kh-555/RKV-500/Kh-65)". Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems.
(January 2015). "RK-55 Granat (SS-N-21 'Sampson'/3M10)". Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems.
(2008-08-01). "Kh-55/RKV-500A, Kh-55SM/RKV-500B, Kh-555 and Kh-65SE (AS-15 'Kent')". Jane's Air-Launched Weapons.
Norris, Cochran. (1989). "SIPRI Yearbook 1989: World Armaments and Disarmament".
(2009-01-08). "SS-N-21 'Sampson' (P-1000 3M70 Vulkan/3K10 Granat)". Jane's Naval Weapon Systems.
(August 2, 2021). "RK-55 Granat (SS-N-21)".
(March 8, 2017). "U.S. Accuses Russia of Deploying Cruise Missile in Threat to NATO".
(September 28, 2015). "Russia Test Fires SSC X-8 Cruise Missile".
Pike, John. "9M729 - SSC-X-8".

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