Russia says it has for the first time used its Bastion coastal missile system at the Arctic exercise on Kotelny Island.
On 26 September, Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has announced that Northern Fleet to use Bastion coastal missile system at the Arctic exercise on Kotelny Island for the first time.
According to the officials, the crew of the Bastion coastal missile system successfully carried out missile firing at a naval target position at a range of over 60 kilometers to prove its readiness to effectively fulfill combat duty in the Arctic and protect the island area and the sea coast of Russia.
Earlier Rubezh coastal missile system had been used as the main one. It is in service with the Northern Fleet tactical group. It successfully fired two Termit missiles at targets placed over 50km off the coast in the Laptev Sea.
The Bastion is a modern Russian mobile coastal missile system. It is designed to engage target surface fighting ships and auxiliaries vessels both single and belonging to Task Forces radiocontrast shore targets in the environment of organized fire and electronic opposition.
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation also released a video that shows launch P-800 Onyx missile from Bastion coastal missile, which can travel at speeds of up to 1,980mph, shooting up in the air and then gliding above the sea towards a mock target designed to simulate a group of hostile ships.
The Bastion launcher can carry two Onyx anti-ship missiles, which can engage targets at a range up to 300km with a high-low trajectory, or 120km with a low-low flight trajectory. Although designed to be deployed against ships, it can be used against ground targets as well.