August 7, 1997. Copyright, 1997, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Russia to sell supersonic
ship-killer

Russia is preparing to export a supersonic anti-ship missile, 
called Yakhont, which could be used by terrorist nations to 
destabilise world peace. 
	The 8.9m long missile can be launched either from a submarine, 
surface ship or from a mobile coastal launcher, according to a 
report in JaneÕs Defence Weekly. It reveals that an 
aircraft-launched version is also in development.
Western military experts are concerned that the supersonic 
missile, which can approach beneath the radar defences of even 
the latest Western warships, could end up in the hands of 
terrorist nations. A Yakhont mounted on a small patrol ship could 
penetrate the missile umbrella of a sophisticated aircraft 
carrier group.
Yakhont Ð which has a range of up to 300km and cruises at 15,000m 
Ð descends to between 5m and 10m above the sea before switching 
on its active radar. This happens under the radar horizon of the 
target ship, giving it no time to launch countermeasures before 
impact.
The Yakhont uses ram-jet technology, which does not use spinning 
turbines to compress air as in a normal jet engine. Ram-jets, 
also known as Ôflying drainpipesÕ, rely on the forward velocity 
to compress air before the fuel is ignited.
Russia has pioneered supersonic ram-jet missiles while western 
arms designers have settled for more accurate subsonic missiles.
YakhontÕs makers Ð NPO Mashinostroeniya Ð claim the missile will 
be unparalleled when it appears on the market in two to three 
years.
The Russian arms export company, Rosvoorouzhenie, says that talks 
are already underway with potential customers in the Middle East, 
Asia and the Far East. 
Sales will be targetted over the next three to five years at 
countries that bought first-generation anti-ship missiles in the 
1970s and 1980s. This market alone could constitute $2 billion. 
The total size of the anti-ship missile market up to 2005 will 
amount to between $10 billion and $12 billion.

Sources: JaneÕs Defence Weekly, BBC World Service