Russian Kilo class submarine launches Kalibr missile near Japan.

According to information published by Tass on March 2, 2023, Russia’s defense ministry released a video of the launch of a Kalibr missile from the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky submarine in the Sea of Japan at a coastal target.
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Kalibr cruise missile launched by Kilo class submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. (Picture source: Russian MoD)

The launch was carried out in the daytime. The video also features the missile hitting the designated target. The Russian Armed Forces currently operate shipborne Kalibr-NK and submarine-launched Kalibr-PL missile modifications.

About the Kalibr missile

The 3M-54 Kalibr is a versatile family of Russian cruise missiles that was developed by the Novator Design Bureau (OKB-8) and first entered service in 1994. It is also known as the 3M54-1 Kalibr and the 3M14 Biryuza.

The missile family includes ship-launched, submarine-launched, and air-launched versions, as well as variants for anti-ship, anti-submarine, and land attack use.

One of the unique features of the 3M-54 Kalibr is its second propulsion stage, which allows the missile to initiate a supersonic sprint in the terminal approach to the target.

This reduces the time that the target's defense systems have to react, making the missile more difficult to intercept. However, there are also subsonic versions of the missile that have greater range than the supersonic variants.

The 3M-54 Kalibr is capable of carrying a warhead weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of explosive, which can be used for both conventional and nuclear weapons. The missile has a range of over 2,500 km (1,550 mi) and can be launched from a variety of platforms, including surface ships, submarines, and aircraft.