Kalibr Cruise Missile: Russia’s 3M-14 From Syria to Ukraine
Kalibr cruise missile explained: Russia’s 3M-14 range estimates, its 2015 Syria debut, recent Ukraine salvos, and how it compares with Tomahawk.
The Kalibr is Russia’s main sea-launched land-attack cruise missile, known by the designation 3M-14 and the NATO name SS-N-30A. It has been fired from ships and submarines at targets in Syria and Ukraine for more than a decade, and Ukraine still reports Kalibr launches against its cities. On Oct. 17, 2026, Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down four Kalibr missiles launched from the Novorossiysk area. This guide to the Kalibr cruise missile explains what it is, its specifications, its combat record and how it compares with the U.S. Tomahawk.
What Kalibr is and what it does
Kalibr is a family of missiles that share a common launch system, according to the CSIS Missile Threat project. The land-attack 3M-14 sits alongside the SS-N-27 anti-ship missile and the 91R anti-submarine missile. The shared vertical launch cells let even small Russian ships carry long-range strike weapons.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) listed Kalibr as one of Russia’s armament priorities for 2010 to 2015, and said it was tested in the Kavkaz-2012, Vostok-2014 and Kavkaz-2016 exercises.
Specifications
Russia has not published full specifications. The figures below are open-source estimates.
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Range | 1,500 to 2,500 km |
| Length | 6.2 m |
| Warhead | 450 kg, possibly nuclear-capable |
| Engine | Turbojet |
| In service | 2015 |
| Launch platforms | Surface ships; submarines (3M-14K version) |
Peter’s World table built from CSIS Missile Threat estimates. Russian official figures are not available.
CSIS lists an export version, the 3M-54T, with a range of about 300 km.
Users and production
Russia is the only confirmed operator of the land-attack version. CSIS quotes the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence as saying in 2015 that Russia planned to equip all new ships with Kalibr. Moscow does not publish production numbers or unit costs, and Peter’s World found no official estimate from a U.S. government source.
Combat record
Syria. Kalibr’s combat debut came in October 2015, when Russia fired 26 missiles from the Caspian Sea at targets in Syria, according to CSIS. They were launched by a Gepard-class frigate and three Buyan-M corvettes and flew about 1,800 km. Testifying to Congress in April 2016, Adm. William Gortney, then head of U.S. Northern Command, said Russia had used “heavy bombers, surface vessels, and a submarine to launch advanced conventional cruise missiles at targets in Syria.” He called the strikes “a proof-of concept” (House Armed Services Committee testimony).
Ukraine. Russia has fired Kalibrs at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in 2022. In the Oct. 17, 2026 attack, Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched four Kalibrs from the Novorossiysk area, along with ballistic and air-launched missiles and 332 drones. It said all four Kalibrs were downed, according to Ukrinform, Ukraine’s state news agency. These are Ukrainian military claims and have not been independently verified.
Why cruise missiles are hard to stop
Gortney told lawmakers that cruise missiles are difficult to counter because they can be launched from far away, fly at low altitude and have small radar signatures. He also said Russia has “conventional and nuclear cruise missiles with the range to reach North America.”
How it compares
| Missile | Country | Range | Warhead | Engine | First combat use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalibr 3M-14 | Russia | See specifications above | See above | See above | 2015, Syria |
| Kalibr 3M-54T (export) | Russia | About 300 km | Not listed | Not listed | None reported |
| Tomahawk Block IV/V | U.S. | 1,600 km (900 nm) | 1,000-lb class | Turbofan | 1991, Desert Storm (earlier blocks) |
Peter’s World comparison from CSIS Missile Threat and the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk fact file.
The Navy says Tomahawk Block IV reached initial operating capability in 2004, and Block V in 2021. The Army’s fiscal 2027 budget also requests 234 Tomahawks for its ground-launched Mid-Range Capability.
Peter’s World’s view
Analysis: Peter’s World interpretation of the sources above.
Kalibr gave Russia’s smaller warships a strike role usually reserved for large vessels, which may explain why U.S. naval intelligence flagged it in 2015. In Ukraine, its role looks narrower than its reputation. Recent Ukrainian reports describe salvos of a few missiles mixed into attacks of hundreds of drones, and Ukraine claims high intercept rates against them. If those claims hold, Kalibr’s value may lie more in forcing Ukraine to spend air defense interceptors than in the damage it does on its own.
What to watch
- Kalibr salvo sizes in Ukrainian Air Force reports, as a rough sign of Russian stocks.
- Launches from the Caspian Sea versus the Black Sea as Ukraine strikes naval targets.
- Whether the Oleshky ceasefire and planned talks change the pace of missile attacks.
- Any confirmed export of Kalibr-family missiles.
Follow the war on our Russia-Ukraine news hub and in our Oct. 17 war update, and read about U.S. efforts to counter cruise missiles in our report on the IFPC second interceptor.
This article was written by Peter with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked. See our AI use disclosure.
Warfare explained: Ballistic missile vs cruise missile: key differences
Sources
- Defense Intelligence Agency: Russia Military Power (2017)
- Adm. William Gortney, House Armed Services testimony (Apr. 14, 2016)
- U.S. Navy: Tomahawk cruise missile fact file
- CSIS Missile Threat: SS-N-30A Kalibr
Additional sources
- Army request for 234 Tomahawk missiles. Army FY2027 Missile Procurement justification book
