Editing Anti-ship missile (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2022}}

During the [[Cold War]], the [[Soviet Union]] turned to a [[sea denial]] strategy concentrating on [[submarine]]s, [[naval mine]]s and the AShM. One of the first products of the decision was the [[P-15 Termit|SS-N-2 Styx]] missile. Further products were to follow, and they were soon loaded onto the [[Soviet Air Force]]'s [[Tu-95 Bear]] and [[Tu-22|Tu-22 Blinder]] bombers, in the case of the air-launched [[KS-1 Komet]].

[[File:Hiddensee P-20 missile.jpg|thumb| P-15 unloaded from missile tube aboard the [[German corvette Hiddensee|USNS Hiddensee]]]]

In 1967, the [[Israeli Navy]]'s destroyer {{INS|Eilat|1955|2}} was the first ship to be sunk by a ship-launched missile—a number of Styx missiles launched by Egyptian {{sclass|Komar|missile boat}}s off the [[Sinai Peninsula]].

In the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] the [[Indian Navy]] conducted two raids using {{sclass2|Osa|missile boat|1}}s employing the Styx on the Pakistani naval base at [[Karachi]]. These raids resulted in the destruction or crippling of approximately two thirds of the [[Pakistani Navy]]. Major losses included two [[destroyer]]s, a [[fleet oiler]], an [[ammunition ship]], approximately a dozen [[merchant ship]]s, and numerous smaller craft. Major shore-based facilities, including fuel storage tanks and naval installations were also destroyed. The Osas returned to base without loss.

The [[Battle of Latakia]] in 1973 (during the [[Yom Kippur War|Yom Kippur/]]Ramadan War) was the scene of the world's first combat between missile boats. In this battle, the Israeli Navy destroyed [[Syria]]n warships without suffering any damage, using [[electronic countermeasures]] and ruses for defense. After defeating the [[Syrian Navy]] the Israeli missile boats also sank a number of Egyptian warships, again without suffering any damage in return, thus achieving total naval supremacy for the rest of the war.

Anti-ship missiles were used in the 1982 [[Falklands War]]. The British warship {{HMS|Sheffield|D80|6}}, a [[Type 42 destroyer]], was struck by a single air-launched [[Exocet]] and later sank as a result of the damage. The container ship {{ship||Atlantic Conveyor}} was hit by two Exocets and burnt out and subsequently sank while under tow. {{HMS|Glamorgan|D19|6}} was damaged when she was struck by an MM38, a ship-launched version of the Exocet, fired from a launcher taken from the [[Argentine Navy]] destroyer [[USS Hank|ARA ''Comodoro Seguí'']] and mounted on a trailer by Navy technicians,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/itb.html |title=An interview with CL (R) Ing. Julio Pérez, chief designer of Exocet trailer-based launcher |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302010742/http://www.fuerzasnavales.com/itb.html |archive-date=March 2, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but she had taken evasive action that limited the damage.

[[File:USS Stark.jpg|thumb|left|''Stark'' listing following two hits by [[Exocet]] missiles.]]
In 1987, a US Navy [[guided-missile frigate]], {{USS|Stark|FFG-31|6}}, was hit by an Exocet anti-ship missile fired by an Iraqi [[Mirage F-1]] fighter plane. ''Stark'' was damaged, but she was able to steam to a friendly port for temporary repairs.

In October 1987, ''Sungari'', an American-owned [[Tanker (ship)|tanker]] steaming under the Liberian flag, and {{MV|Sea Isle City||2}}, a Kuwaiti tanker steaming under the American flag, were hit by Iranian HY-2 missiles.

In 1988 AShMs were fired by both American and Iranian forces in [[Operation Praying Mantis]] in the [[Persian Gulf]]. During this naval battle, several Iranian warships were hit by American AShMs (and by the US Navy's [[Standard missile]]s—surface-to-air missiles which were doing double-duty in the anti-ship role). The US Navy hit the Iranian Navy frigate [[Iranian frigate Sahand (1969)|Sahand]] with three [[AGM-84 Harpoon|Harpoon]] missiles, four AGM-123 [[AGM-123 Skipper II|Skipper]] rocket-propelled bombs, a [[AGM-62 Walleye|Walleye]] TV-guided bomb, and several {{convert|1,000|lb|abbr=on|0}} "[[Mark 83 bomb|iron bombs]]". Despite the large number of munitions and successful hits, ''Sahand'' did not sink until fire reached her [[Magazine (artillery)#Naval magazines|ammunition magazine]], causing it to detonate, sinking the vessel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor/pic-prayingmantis.shtml|title=Photos of Sahand on fire|author=Bradley Peniston|publisher=Navybook.com|access-date=13 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614190554/http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor/pic-prayingmantis.shtml|archive-date=14 June 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the same engagement, American warships fired three Standard missiles at an Iranian Navy [[corvette]]. This corvette had such a low profile above the water that a Harpoon missile that arrived several minutes later could not lock onto it with its targeting radars.

In 2006, Lebanese [[Hezbollah]] fighters fired an AShM at the Israeli corvette {{INS|Hanit}}, inflicting battle damage, but the warship managed to return to Israel in one piece and under its own power. A second missile in the same salvo struck and sank an Egyptian merchant ship.

[[File:Neptune R-360 missile, Kyiv 2021, 05.jpg|thumb|right|[[R-360 Neptune|R-360 Neptune anti-ship missile]]]]
On 13 April 2022, the Ukrainian government claimed to have hit the [[Russian cruiser Moskva|Russian cruiser ''Moskva'']] with two [[R-360 Neptune]] missiles, resulting in [[sinking of the Moskva|its sinking]]. The Russian government did not confirm the attack, but admitted that the ship sank after a fire.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61114843 |access-date=15 April 2022 |date=15 April 2022 |title=Russian warship: Moskva sinks in Black Sea}}</ref>  If Ukrainian claims are true, ''Moskva'' might be the largest warship ever disabled or destroyed by a missile, according to Carl Schuster, a retired [[United States Navy|US Navy]] captain and former director of operations at the [[United States Indo-Pacific Command|US Pacific Command]]'s Joint Intelligence Center.<ref name="CNN 14apr22">{{cite news |last1=Lendon |first1=Brad |title=Russian navy evacuates badly damaged flagship in Black Sea. Ukraine claims it was hit by a missile |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/europe/russia-navy-cruiser-moskva-fire-abandoned-intl-hnk-ml/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=14 April 2022 |access-date=14 April 2022 |archive-date=14 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414164050/https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/14/europe/russia-navy-cruiser-moskva-fire-abandoned-intl-hnk-ml/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>