Silkworm (missile) - Operational History

Operational History

The Silkworm was developed at the Institute of Mechanics under Qian Xuesen, a Chinese scientist who did his graduate studies at MIT and Caltech, before being deported by the United States in 1955 after being suspected of Communist ties. A book about this scientist's life was written by Iris Chang, entitled Thread of the Silkworm.

The Silkworm gained fame in the 1980s when it was used by both sides in the Iran–Iraq War; both countries were supplied by China. During 1987, Iran launched a number of Silkworm missiles from the Faw Peninsula vicinity striking the Liberian-flagged tanker Sungari and US-flagged tanker Sea Isle City in October 1987 and 5 other missiles struck areas in Kuwait earlier in the year. In October 1987, Kuwait's Sea Island off shore oil terminal was hit by an Iranian Silkworm which was observed to have originated from the Faw peninsula. The attack prompted Kuwait to deploy a Hawk missile battery on Failaka Island to protect the terminal. In December 1987, another Iranian Silkworm was fired at the terminal, but it struck a decoy barge instead. Prior to these attacks the missile's range was thought to be less than 80 kilometres (49.7 mi), but these attacks proved that the range exceeded 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) with Kuwaiti military observers seeing that the missiles originated from the area and tracking them on radar along with US satellite imagery of the launch sites.

In March 1988, China agreed to stop supplying Iran with HY-2 missiles, though it is reported that supply continued into 1989. Iran has since developed the capability to manufacture these missiles itself.

On February 25, 1991 a shore-based launcher fired two Silkworm missiles at the USS Missouri (BB-63) which was in company with the USS Jarrett (FFG-33) and HMS Gloucester. A Sea Dart missile from HMS Gloucester shot down one Silkworm and the other missed, crashing into the ocean.

During the 2003 Gulf War, Iraq used the Silkworm as a surface to surface missile by firing at least two of them at the coalition positions in Kuwait.

During the 2006 Lebanon War, it was initially reported that Hezbollah guerillas fired a Silkworm missile at an Israeli warship off the shores of Lebanon. Israeli sources later said that the missile used instead was a more sophisticated Chinese C-701. Notably, Syria and Egypt employed Soviet Styx missiles—the Russian-made precursors to the Silkworm—against Israeli warships in both the 1967 War of Attrition following the Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. While the missiles were ineffective during the Battle of Latakia in 1973, four Styx missiles sank the Israeli destroyer Eilat in October 1967, marking the first time that ship-to-ship missiles were successfully used in combat.

While it is not a particularly sophisticated missile when compared to newer generations of Anti-Ship missiles such as the French Exocet, the Silkworm's unusually large warhead ensures that a single hit will inflict very serious damage.