SS-N-17

RS-16 (NATO designation - SS-N-17 Snipe) is a Soviet SLBM missile.

Research began in the early 70s. It was to be fitted on only one Yankee II class submarine for evaluation on other platforms. Its maiden flight took place from the Yankee II Class K-140 in 1973.

It marked the first solid-fueled ICBM in the Soviet Union's Strategic Arsenal. It was a 2-stage delivery device armed with a single 500kT nuclear warhead. Above all else, its practical bonuses were a quieter, submerged delivery system which used the missile's buoyancy to surface and launch.

It first entered service in 1980, but was never installed in any other submarine other than the K-140. as of|1991 it is out of service. It had been stated that this missile was also capable of performing the duties of SLCMs, as their targeting distance could be varied drastically.

Operators

;USSR
*Soviet Navy

Sources

* [http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.151/missile_detail.asp SS-N-17] at MissileThreat
* [http://www.milnet.com/icbmt.htm MILNET: Strategic Missiles]