Russia develops new Kalibr-M cruise missile for its navy
Russia is busy developing the Kalibr-M, a modern cruise missile with a range in excess of 4,500 km, for its navy, TASS reports, citing a source in the Russian military industry.
“For the navy, the latest ship-based precision cruise missile Kalibr-M with a maximum firing range of more than 4,500 km is being developed. The creation of the missile is at the scientific research stage and is being financed by the Defense Ministry,” the source said. He clarified that the development of the Kalibr-M is included in the state arms program for 2027. “The missile must be given to the fleet before the end of the program,” he noted.
He added that the new missile will differ from the existing Kalibr missiles both in its greater range and in its overall dimensions. “The missile will be significantly bigger, the weight of its warhead is approaching 1 ton,” he observed. According to the source, the new missile is to be used by large surface ships, starting with frigates, as well as by nuclear submarines. The Kalibr-M is designed to destroy ground facilities and will be capable of carrying both a normal and a nuclear warhead,” he clarified.
The Russian Navy currently uses Kalibr missile systems. According to open sources, the maximum range of the 3M-14 missile, flying at subsonic speeds, is around 2,000 km. The Kalibr-NK variant was developed for surface ships and the Kalibr-PL for submarines. Kalibr missile systems form part of the armament of Russian project 22350 frigates, project 21631 Buyan-M-class corvettes, Yasen-class multipurpose project 885 nuclear submarines, project 877 and 636.3 non-nuclear submarines, and other ships.
The maximum mass of warheads that can be carried by the current Kalibr missiles is 500 kg. These missiles have been used by Russian military ships and submarines to attack terrorist targets in Syria.