The 3M-14E cruise missiles of the Kalibr family have been repeatedly used by the Russian Armed Forces during the operation in Syria, military expert Alexander Mozgovoi told Radio Sputnik.
Saying that the Kalibr is a high-precision weapon with a maximum operational range of nearly 2,500 kilometers, the expert pointed out that this makes the missiles irreplaceable in the fight against terrorism.
"Now, these missiles are used only to destroy terrorist targets of critical importance and their use is successful," Mozgovoi said.
"There are a number of versions [within the Kalibr family]. There are anti-submarine missiles as well as missiles capable of destroying surface targets. There are also several ways the missile can be launched, including from the coast, in air and so on. They have differences in operational range, speed and payload effectiveness," he explained.
There is also the export version of the Kalibr missile which has an operational range reduced to 300 kilometers.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet submarines delivered two Kalibr cruise missile strikes against Daesh targets in Syria, including command posts, large ammunition depots and hangars, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.
"To destroy these objects, two submarines from the [Russian] Black Sea Fleet, the Veliky Novgorod and the Kolpino, delivered two strikes using Kalibr cruise missiles," Konashenkov said.
He added that the launches of 10 cruise missiles were made from a submerged position, adding that objective control equipment confirmed the destruction of all assigned targets.
On September 22, the Veliky Novgorod submarine carried out a submerged launch of Kalibr missiles on al-Nusra Front targets in the Syrian province in Idlib. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the strike destroyed important command centers, training bases, ammo depot and armored vehicles belonging to the terrorist group.
