I don't recall what the Sovs used as FC radar afloat.
They let the Egyptians have some deployed on "Komar"-type patrol boats, and they took on and destroyed the "Eilat", an old "Z"-class, ex-Royal Navy DD, WW II vintage. Someone told me the "Eilat" was dead after the first hit, but the Egyptians got four hits with four weapons. Everyone was impressed. That was the closing episode of the Six-Day War.
Saddam's troops managed to launch a "Silkworm" at one of our BB's during the Gulf War, but a big British County-class DD in the screen intercepted it with a Sea Dart, got an official thank-you and attaboy. Those SS-N-2's had an armored warhead and a lo-hi-lo mission profile; the armoring was a little unusual, made them unwieldy but very hard to stop after they nosed over and went supersonic and active-homing in the terminal phase. That's the reason for the high approach, so they could accelerate into the target. Nasty attitude.
The Iranians' domestic designs have been considerably smaller and owe more to the "Harpoon"-type cruise missile, and even smaller weapons in the "Penguin" class. The weapon they used on the Izzies last year was one of the latter.
Yeah, we had our EW guys intently watching for whif’s of the targeting radars used for those shore batteries at the time...
Whats funny is you never really knew (and those gomers really messed with us too) if when they turned off the FC radar, that was indicative of either a launch or they were just messing with us...Bastages!
I remember it was the Wisconsin that got shot at...And there was quite a thank you party back in Manama after that successful intercept...
But they have some sort of “new” C-801 (Chinese, Thanks guys! Not!) type of “silkworm” missile that looks a little more of a conventional “harpoon” framed cruise missile...Looks to be slightly larger...Probably longer range, and a bit more punch where it counts...
But at least thats what some in the media are calling it...They forgot about the older “silkworms”...
We actually got shot at by an Iraqi Badger bomber that had two silkworms slung underneath the wings one evening...
The after lookout actually saw the launch as we saw the separation on radar...But they immediately went in the drink in a rather spectacular way before we had to bring weapons to bear...
In any event...I have an extreme confidence in the naval forces in the gulf to take care of and support any operation against Iran anytime soon...
If they want to come out and play again, fine...I really hope they remember what happened last time they tried back in April of 1987...I derived total satisfaction in shoving over-sized items sideways into their nether-regions...;-) Sabalan and the Sahand are hazards to navigation now...hehehe Screw ‘em...