How missiles changed the scale of naval strike

Gorshkov presents missile strike as a transformation because one submarine, surface group, or aviation formation might achieve strategic results at great range. A strike can be a coordinated set of actions or an independent attack by a single weapons carrier that destroys a ship or reaches a land target. That possibility blurs tactical, operational, and strategic levels because an action conducted by tactical rules may have strategic consequences. Fleets had already bombarded shores, used rivers and amphibious landings to project power, and relied on torpedoes for decisive attacks, so the novelty claim needs qualification. Missiles greatly extended reach, speed, and stand-off effect, while presenting that evolution as a revolution helped Gorshkov sell investment in new capabilities.