R-39 Rif

Submarine-launched ballistic missile

R-39 RIF
R-39
Type	SLBM
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1983–2004
Used by	Soviet Navy Russian Navy
Production history
Designer	Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau
Manufacturer	Zlatoust Machine-Building Plant
Specifications
Mass	84 tonnes (185,000 lb)
Length	16.1 metres (53 ft)^[1] (8.4 metres (28 ft) without warhead)
Diameter	2.4 metres (7.9 ft)^[1]
Warhead	10 MIRV thermonuclear^[1]
Blast yield	100–200 kt each^[1]

Engine	Three-stage Solid-fuel rocket^[1]
Operational range	8,300 kilometres (5,200 mi)^[1]
Guidance system	Astro-inertial guidance^[2]
Accuracy	500 metres (1,600 ft) CEP^[2]

The R-39 Rif (Russian: Р-39 Риф, lit. 'reef'; NATO reporting name: SS-N-20 Sturgeon; bilateral arms control designation: RSM-52) was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that served with the Soviet Navy from its introduction in 1983 until 1991, after which it served with the Russian Navy until 2004. The missile had GRAU indices of 3M65, 3M20, and 3R65. It was carried on board Typhoon-class submarines.

An intercontinental missile, the R-39 had a three-stage solid-fuel boost design with a liquid-fuel post-boost unit carrying up to ten multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle warheads. Like other SLBMs the initial launch was powered by a gas generator in the bottom of the firing tube. During the missile's passage through the water additional motors produce a gaseous wall around the missile, reducing hydrodynamic resistance.^{[citation needed]} The launch system was designated "D-19".

Development

Development work began at NII Mashinostroyeniya in 1971 and the design gained official approval in 1973. Initial test flights from 1979 found problems in the solid-fuel boost engines, over half of the early flights failed. Later tests aboard a modified Typhoon-class submarine were more successful and deployment began in May 1983, with 20 missiles in each submarine. At full deployment, 120 missiles were deployed with 1,200 total warheads.

Under the terms of the START I and START II treaties, from 1996 a number of R-39 missiles were destroyed. Throughout the 1990s, Typhoon class submarines and the R-39 missiles they carried were gradually withdrawn from service. All the missiles were decommissioned by 2004 and all the Typhoon class submarines have been retired, except for one which is used as a test platform for the RSM-56 Bulava.

A successor design, R-39M Grom (Russian: Гром, Thunder)/RSM-52V/SS-N-28 for D-19UTTKh launch system, suffered a succession of testing failures and was cancelled.

Operators

Former operators

Russia

Russian Navy

Soviet Union

Soviet Navy

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "SS-N-20". Archived from the original on 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
^ ^a ^b ^c "R-39 / SS-N-20 Sturgeon SLBM - Russian / Soviet Nuclear Forces". Fas.org. 2000-07-13. Retrieved 2018-08-22.

External links

Russian nuclear forces 2005, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March/April 2005.

Russian and former Soviet military designation sequences for radar, missile and rocket systems

Radar
systems

Land-based	A-100 P-3 P-8 P-10 P-12 P-14 P-15 P-18 P-19 P-20 P-30 P-35 P-37 P-40 P-50 P-70 P-80 P-100 Kabina 66 Kasta 2E RSN-225 Azov SNR-75 1S91 30N6 36D6 64N6 76N6 96L6E 9S15 9S19 9S32 Duga Dnestr Dnepr Daryal Dunay Volga Don-2N Voronezh Container
Ship-borne
Airborne	N001 N002 N005 N006 N007 N008 N010 N011 N012 N014 N019 N025 N035 N036

Missiles

ICBM	BZhRK GR-1 R-7 R-9 R-16 R-26 R-36 R-36M R-46 RS-24 RS-26 RT-2 RT-2PM RT-2PM2 RT-20 RT-21 RT-23 RS-28 Sarmat UR-100 UR-100MR UR-100N UR-200
IRBM	R-14 RSD-10
MRBM	R-5 R-12 RT-15
SRBM	2K1 2K6 9K52 9K720 R-1 R-2 R-11 R-11A R-17 OTR-21 OTR-23 TR-1
SLBM	R-13 R-15 R-21 R-27 R-29 R-39 RSM-45 RSM-56
Surface-to-surface (cruise)	Burya RSS-40 3M-51 Alfa 3M-54 Kalibr 9M730 Burevestnik
Surface-to-surface (naval)	P-1 P-5 P-15 P-70 P-120 P-270 P-500 P-700 P-750 P-800 P-900 P-900A P-1000 RKV-500A RPK-2 RPK-6 RPK-7 URPK-3 URPK-4 URPK-5
Surface-to-air	2K11 Krug 2K12 Kub 2K22 Tunguska Kashtan CIWS 9K31 Strela-1 9K32 Strela-2 9K33 Osa 9K34 Strela-3 9K38 Igla/9K338 Igla-S 9K333 Verba 9K35 Strela-10 9K37 Buk 9K330 Tor Pantsir-S1 42S6 Morfey S-25 Berkut S-75 Dvina S-125 Neva/Pechora S-200 Angara/Vega/Dubna S-300 S-350 (50R6) Vityaz S-400 Triumf S-500/55R6M Triumfator-M M-11 Shtorm Sosna-R
Air-to-surface	KSR-2 KSR-5 KS-1 K-10S Kh-11 Kh-15 Kh-20 Kh-22 Kh-23 Kh-25 Kh-26 Kh-28 Kh-29 Kh-31 Kh-35 Kh-38 Kh-41 Kh-55 Kh-58 Kh-59 Kh-80 Kh-90 9M114V Shturm-V Hermes-A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
Air-to-air	K-5 R-3 R-4 R-8 R-23 R-27 R-33 R-37 R-38 R-40 R-60 R-73 R-77 R-172
Anti-tank	3M6 9K111 9K112 9K114 9K115 9K115-2 9K121 9M14 9M15 9M17 9M113 9M117 9M119 9M120 9M123 9M133 9M133M Kornet-M Kornet-D Hermes

Unguided
rockets

Air-launched	RP-1 RP-5 RP-6 RP-9 RP-15 RP-21 RS-82 RS-132
Rocket artillery	BM-14 BM-21 BM-24 BM-25 BM-27 BM-30 TOS-1

Engines

NATO designation for Russian and former Soviet Union missiles

Air-to-air
(full list)

AA-1 Alkali
AA-2 Atoll
AA-3 Anab
AA-4 Awl
AA-5 Ash
AA-6 Acrid
AA-7 Apex
AA-8 Aphid
AA-9 Amos
AA-10 Alamo
AA-11 Archer
AA-12 Adder
AA-13 Arrow
K-74M2 (R-73M)
K-77M (R-77M)
KS-172

Air-
to-surface
(full list)

Anti-tank
guided
(full list)

Surface-
to-air
(full list)

Ground- based	SA-1 Guild SA-2 Guideline SA-3 Goa SA-4 Ganef SA-5 Gammon SA-6 Gainful SA-7 Grail SA-8 Gecko SA-9 Gaskin SA-10 Grumble SA-11 Gadfly SA-12 Gladiator/Giant SA-13 Gopher SA-14 Gremlin SA-15 Gauntlet SA-16 Gimlet SA-17 Grizzly SA-18 Grouse SA-19 Grison SA-20 Gargoyle SA-21 Growler SA-22 Greyhound SA-23 Gladiator/Giant SA-24 Grinch SA-29 Gizmo Morfey S-350 Sosna-R/RA
Naval- based	SA-N-1 Goa SA-N-2 Guideline SA-NX-2C M-3 SA-N-3 Goblet SA-N-4 Gecko SA-N-5 Grail SA-N-6 Grumble SA-N-7 Gadfly SA-N-8 Gremlin SA-N-9 Gauntlet SA-N-10 Grouse SA-N-11 Grison SA-N-12 Grizzly SA-N-14 Grouse SA-N-20 Gargoyle SA-N-21 Greyhound 9K 96 Redut Palash/Palma
Anti- ballistic	ABM-1 Galosh ABM-3/53T6 Gazelle S-500 A-235

Surface-
to-surface
(full list)

Ground- based	SS-1 Scunner/SS-1 Scud (Scud-A/-B/-C/-D) SS-2 Sibling SS-3 Shyster SS-4 Sandal SS-5 Skean SS-6 Sapwood SS-7 Saddler SS-8 Sasin SS-8B Sasin 2 SS-9 Scarp SS-10 Scrag SS-11 Sego SS-12 Scaleboard SS-X-13 Savage SS-13 Savage SS-14 Scamp/Scapegoat SS-15 Scrooge SS-16 Sinner SS-17 Spanker SS-18 Satan SS-19 Stiletto SS-20 Saber SS-21 Scarab SS-22 Scaleboard SS-23 Spider SS-24 Scalpel SS-25 Sickle SS-26 Stone SS-27 Sickle B SS-28 Saber 2 SS-29 Sickle C SS-X-30 Satan 2 SS-X-31 Sickle D SS-X-32Zh Scalpel B Avangard / HGV Yu-7# SS-X-33 Stone AN
Naval- based	14KhK1 15Kh 17Kh KS-1 Komet P-20 Sokol P-40 P-47 SS-N-1 Scrubber SS-N-2 Styx SS-N-3c Shaddock SS-N-3a Shaddock 3b Sepal SS-N-4 Sark SS-N-5 Sark/Serb D-6 D-6M D-7 R-15M SS-N-6 Serb SS-N-7 Starbright SS-N-8 Sawfly SS-N-9 Siren SS-N-12 Sandbox SS-NX-13 Serb SS-N-14 Silex SS-N-15 Starfish SS-N-16 Stallion SS-N-17 Snipe SS-N-18 Stingray SS-N-19 Shipwreck SS-N-20 Sturgeon SS-N-21 Sampson SS-N-22 Sunburn SS-N-23 Skif R29RM SS-N-23A Skif SS-N-23B Skif SS-NX-24 Scorpion SS-N-25 Switchblade SS-N-26 Strobile SS-N-27 Sizzler SS-N-30A 3M-14 SS-NX-28 SS-N-29 SS-N-32 SS-NX-33 SS-NX-34 Skif SS-N-35 SS-N-36 SS-NX-37 SS-NX-38 Canyon
Ship- to-ship	10KhN SSC-1B Sepal Redut SSC-2 Salish/Samlet AS/KS-1 P-20 Sokol SSC-K P-1 Schuka KSShch SSC-3 Styx Rubezh SSC-4 Slingshot SSC-X-5 Scorpion SSC-6 Sennight SSC-7 Stone KS 9M728 SSC-8 Stone KB 9M729 SSC-14 Klub N/M 3M14/54 SSC-13 BrahMos SSC-10/SSC-5 Stooge Bastion P/S SSC-7/12 3M-80MV SSC-X-11 "GZUR" SSC-X-15 Skif SSC-X-9 Stone AN Hermes M ATS Hermes K ATS