Russian silo coastal missile system has been restored in the Crimea
The Utyos underground coastal missile system has been restored in the Crimea, a source familiar with the situation told Russia's Interfax news agency on Friday.
"It is expected that the regenerated system will carry out several missile launches in order to prove its viability. In the future, Bastion silo-based missile systems are planned to be deployed there as well," the source said.
Earlier, the source reported that the Bastion system, the first coastal silo-based missile system, can be deployed in the Crimea by 2020.
"It will use the existing Yakhont anti-ship missiles as well as some advanced new missiles currently being developed that will be capable of destroying any target in the Black Sea," the source of the news agency said.
According to his assessment, the underground placement of the Bastion system will greatly enhance the combat stability of the complex.
"Stationary basing will make a retaliatory strike by any ships in the Russian Black Sea impossible,” the source stressed.
He noted that the stationary Bastion system will be able to use drones and underwater hydro acoustic systems. The silo will be able to withstand the excess pressure from a shock wave up to 20 kgF/cm2.
The Bastion mobile coastal missile system with a 3M55 Yakhont unitized supersonic homing anti-ship cruise missile was designed and produced at the JSC MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia (part of the OJSC Tactical Missiles Corporation).
The Bastion missile system is designed to protect a sea coast of more than 600 km in length and to destroy surface ships of different classes and types, which act as part of airborne compounds, convoys, ship and aircraft carrier battle groups, and also single ships and land-based targets under intense fire.
One system can carry a munitions load of to 36 Yakhont missiles. The missile has an over-horizon range of firing with a "fire and forget" principle built in to it.
Yakhont missiles are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 300 km and carry a warhead weighing more than 200 kg. The rocket features full autonomy in combat use, high supersonic speed at all lengths of flight, the ability to choose different trajectories (low-altitude and combined), as well as complete usability for a wide range of marine, aviation and ground carriers.