Why is the P-700 Granit known as the aircraft carrier killer?

The P-700 Granit is considered an aircraft carrier killer thanks to its superior power, super speed and intelligent formation coordination ability that challenges all shields at sea.

According to Military, the P-700 Granit cruise missile was born in the tense context of the Cold War and quickly became one of the most powerful weapons ever equipped on the Russian Navy's nuclear cruisers and strategic submarines.

Weighing about 7 tons and measuring 10 meters in length, Granit is one of the largest anti-ship missiles in the world . It can carry a 750 kg high explosive warhead or a nuclear warhead with a destructive power equivalent to 500,000 tons of TNT.

With heavy warheads, long range and group attack tactics, the P-700 Granit became the nightmare of aircraft carrier groups in all combat scenarios.

The jet engine allows Granit to reach a range of about 625 km at a speed of nearly 2,000 km/h when flying close to the sea surface and over 3,100 km/h at high altitude. The guidance system combines inertial and active radar in the final phase, along with the ability to lock on and destroy enemy radar, giving the missile a superior offensive advantage in complex combat environments.

Although it is many times larger than modern missiles such as the P-800 Oniks or Zircon, Granit belongs to an older generation in terms of technology. However, at the time of its birth, the missile defined the standard for long-range attack tactics of the Soviet Navy, especially in the role of hunting and destroying enemy aircraft carrier groups.

The P-700 Granit creates a different power with its ability to attack accurately from a distance and intelligent guidance.

The Granit's reputation rests on its ability to operate in formation. Instead of launching individually, the P-700 is typically launched in salvos of 4-8 missiles, forming a tightly coordinated group of missiles on their way to the target. In this formation, one missile flies higher than the rest to collect target information, then transmits location and target characteristics data to the entire group.

This missile plays the role of commander, assigning attack directions, dividing targets and determining tactics for the entire formation. Some missiles will focus on attacking the main target, some will perform diversions to disrupt the defense system, the rest will try to neutralize secondary targets.

The intelligent control system allows the missiles to continuously exchange data. If the command missile is shot down, another missile will immediately increase altitude and take over. If the main target is destroyed in the first attack, the remaining group of missiles will quickly recalculate the mission and move on to destroy the next targets in order of priority. It is this flexible coordination ability that makes Granit a symbol of the bold long-range operational thinking of the Soviet Navy.

Not only strong in firepower, the P-700 Granit also stands out for its smart contract tactics, capable of neutralizing the dense defenses of modern aircraft carriers.

The P-700 Granit has several variants developed to meet the different operational requirements of the Soviet and Russian navies. The basic version is deployed on large cruisers, retaining the long-range configuration, supersonic engine and intelligent guidance system to attack aircraft carrier formations. From this platform, another variant was designed specifically for the Oscar-class nuclear submarines with a launch structure adapted to the underwater environment, ensuring the missile is stable when leaving the launch tube and switching to high-speed cruise.

Some documents say that Granit is also capable of carrying many types of warheads such as high-explosive, penetrating and special warheads, helping to expand the target range from surface fleets to fixed facilities on land.

In addition, during service, some versions of the Granit were upgraded in terms of guidance systems to increase accuracy and anti-jamming capabilities in modern combat environments. Although there are not as many variants as later missile lines, the P-700 Granit still demonstrates significant flexibility and plays a fundamental role in the design thinking of Russia's long-range anti-ship missiles.

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Source: https://congthuong.vn/vi-sao-p-700-granit-duoc-menh-danh-sat-thu-tau-san-bay-433943.html