The nearly six-ton K-22 could reach about Mach 4.6 over roughly 320 nautical miles, giving Soviet planners a fast, long-range anti-carrier weapon. A salvo was a coordinated operation: Badgers, Backfires, ships, and other launchers would attack from different bearings. One wave could draw defensive aircraft and attention out of position before another arrived from elsewhere. The late-1960s combination may briefly have held an exceptional advantage. Western responses such as Aegis continued the measure-and-countermeasure contest.
Notable Point · 1:03:02-1:05:38
Multi-axis missile salvos against carrier defences
Heavy missiles and Backfire bombers were intended to attack a carrier group from several directions and overload its defences.