Marking the first tests on record since last September, the Russian Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine Kazan conducted a new launch of an Oniks anti-ship missile in an exercise that involved a floating target positioned some 300 kilometers away in the Barents Sea. According to the press service of the so-called Northern Fleet, the test served as an opportunity to demonstrate the missile’s capabilities and collect real-world data on its flight path through various sensors deployed near the target, which it reportedly struck with precision.
Quoting verbatim from the statement issued by the Russian Navy regarding the event: “As part of planned combat training activities, the Northern Fleet’s nuclear-powered submarine Kazan launched an Oniks cruise missile from a submerged position against a sea target, designated as a simulated enemy ship and located at a distance of up to 300 kilometers.”
The service also stated that it deployed various surface ships and aircraft—without specifying which—to support the launch and to ensure the closure of the area where the operations took place, preventing civilian traffic from passing through. Civil shipping had reportedly been notified in advance through warnings in order to avoid potential accidents. According to the officially released information, the test proceeded without major issues, indicating that the cordon operation was successful.
Separately, recalling the aforementioned precedent from September, that event involved the nuclear-powered submarines Krasnoyarsk (Yasen-M class) and Omsk (Oscar class); and in addition to Oniks missiles, Granit missiles were also fired. As we reported at the time, the activity took place in the Sea of Okhotsk, with three launches in total against targets located some 250 kilometers away—each of which was successfully destroyed.
At the time, the service also stated that these launches were part of a scheduled training period during the Northern Hemisphere summer, apparently on a larger scale than the more recent event. That iteration reportedly involved up to 10 ships, also supported by aircraft and helicopters from Russian Naval Aviation, operating under the Pacific Fleet’s command. Bastion coastal batteries were also included, as the aim was to improve interoperability between naval units and shore-based positions to respond to potential attacks.
Image credits: Russian Navy
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