Anti-ship missile (P-15 Termit / Styx) and the sinking of Eilat
Misil antibuque (P-15 Termit / Styx) y hundimiento del Eilat
- Date
- 21 de octubre de 1967 · confidence high
- Place
- Port Said, Egypt
- Credited to
- Egyptian Navy (USSR, Raduga design bureau)
- Field
- Conflict
What it is
Egyptian Komar-class missile boats sank the Israeli destroyer Eilat with several P-15 missiles fired from port. It was the first time a warship was sunk by a surface-to-surface missile, redirecting naval warfare towards missiles and countermeasures.
The Eilat's position (about 14 miles north-east of Port Said) is approximate; the missile that sank her was the Soviet P-15 supplied to Egypt.
What it led to
- the Exocet and Harpoon missiles
- missile boats and corvettes
- naval anti-missile defences (CIWS) and naval electronic warfare