That’s certainly possible – in fact, likely – although at this point not independently confirmed. What is confirmed, however, is that Russia reasserted last week her determination to provide the P-800 Yakhont (SS-N-26) anti-ship cruise missile to Syria. Assuming the missile does come to Syria, it will mark the first deployment of any missile of this kind in a Mediterranean nation.
The Yakhont is a supersonic (up to 2.5 Mach) cruise missile, a variety in which Russia has paced the world. None of the NATO navies deploys a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM). Russia and China have supersonic ASCMs in their active forces; Iran has the older SS-N-22 Sunburn, acquired in the last decade. (The Iranian frigate in the Med is not equipped with the Sunburn, however.) India tested a supersonic BrahMos missile, developed jointly with Russia, in March 2010.
Asia has thus seen much more active and urgent development of supersonic cruise missile technology than Europe or North America. The Yakhont is also a relatively long-range ASCM, capable of reaching targets up to 185 statute miles (300km) away using a high-altitude approach. With the stealthier low-altitude, sea-skimming approach, the Yakhont’s range is around 75 miles, or 120km. (In seafaring terms, the ranges are between 60 and 180 nautical miles.) In all cases, the Yakhont can be launched well beyond line of sight.
