Other names for this basic type of missile include: HY-1, SY-1, and FL-1 Flying Dragon (Chinese designations typically differ for export and domestic use, even for otherwise identical equipment), North Korean local produced KN-1 or KN-01, derived from both Silkworm variants and Russian & USSR P-15, Rubezh, P-20 P-22 .

Despite its large size, thousands of P-15s were built and installed on many classes of ships from torpedo boats to destroyers, and coastal batteries and bomber aircraft (Chinese versions).

Rather than rely on a few heavy and costly ships, a new weapons system was designed to fit smaller, more numerous vessels, while maintaining sufficient striking power.

The basic design of the missile, retained for all subsequent versions, featured a cylindrical body, a rounded nose, two delta wings in the center and three control surfaces in the tail.

[citation needed] Some shortcomings were never totally solved, due to the liquid propellant of the rocket engine: the acid fuel gradually corroded the missile fuselage.

The launch was usually made with the help of electronic warfare support measures (ESM) gear and Garpun radar at a range of between 5.5 and 27 kilometres (3.4 and 16.8 mi) due to the limits of the targeting system.

[2] The onboard sensor was activated at 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from impact, the missile would begin to descend at 1-2° to the target, because the flight pattern was about 120 to 250 metres (390 to 820 ft) above sea level.

[citation needed] In total, the P-15 family had the following models:[2] In 1989, during the Baghdad International Exhibition for Military Production Iraq unveiled a series of coastal defense missiles under the name Faw, most likely built with technical assistance from Yugoslavia and some help from Egypt, China and the Soviet Union:[3] After the 1991 Gulf War, the Faw missile remained in service with the Iraqi Armed Forces, although it was largely obsolete prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

[4] This missile, despite its mass, was used in small and medium ships, from 60 to 4,000 tons, shore batteries and (only for derived models) aircraft and submarines.

Komar-class missile boats were deployed in Operation "Anadyr" ("Анадырь"), organized by the Soviet Union to help the Castro government.

At least eight were sent in cargo ships, due partly to their small dimensions and were presumably left to the Cuban Navy after the crisis, together with many other weapons of Soviet origin.

Believing it to be the afterburner of a fighter aircraft, Khaibar opened fire with her Bofors guns, but these were not effective against such a small, fast target.

During this action, Nipat attacked another two ships; the cargo vessel Venus Challenger, which was carrying ammunition from Saigon, was destroyed.

The Pakistan Navy fleet tanker, PNS Dacca, was badly damaged and only survived because the commanding officer, Captain.

Though anti-aircraft guns opened fire in response, they only managed to hit a Greek ship, Zoë, that was moored in the port and consequently sank.

[citation needed] Despite these early successes, the 1973 Yom Kippur War saw P-15 missiles used by the Egyptian and Syrian navies prove ineffective against Israeli ships.

The Israeli Navy had phased out their old ships, building a fleet of Sa'ar-class FACs: faster, smaller, more maneuverable and equipped with new missiles and countermeasures.

Arab ships did not possess heavy firepower required for surface combat against enemy vessels, usually only 25 and 30 mm guns, and Osa and Komar boats were not always able to outrun their Israeli pursuers.

One suffered a mechanical failure and crashed into the sea,[8] while the other headed for battleship USS Missouri, which was escorting a fleet of minesweepers engaged in coastal anti-mine operations.