This particular model was designed and built to determine how practical such a system would and could be. Furthermore, if the Soviets did manage to build a pra

This particular model was designed and built to determine how practical such a system would and could be. Furthermore, if the Soviets did manage to build a practical, mass-producible design it would have been hell for radar systems (at the time). It "flies" too low for air search radar to pick up due to algorithms and methods used to eliminate false targets from ground clutter. It moves too fast for a surface search radar to register, again because of false target mitigation techniques. It occupies the same blind spot that sea-skimming cruise missiles were designed to exploit, except with much longer range and the ability to spring a half-dozen supersonic Sunburn missiles at the last minute. In a hectic theater it could have been a very effective coastal defense platform and a good complement to the Tu-16/Tu-22 long range missile carriers.