The R-39, NATO SS-N-20 Sturgeon, was developed as the missile armament for the Soviet Project 941 Typhoon ballistic missile submarines. Its size reflected the requirement to carry multiple nuclear warheads from a very large submarine platform.
Open-source references describe the R-39 as a multi-stage solid-fuel SLBM associated with MIRV payloads and intercontinental reach. The system was therefore a sea-based strategic deterrent rather than a surface-to-air weapon, despite the current category assignment needing later taxonomy cleanup.
The R-39 entered service in the late Cold War and was eventually withdrawn as Russia retired or converted Typhoon-class missile capability. Its database value is in linking the missile, Typhoon submarines, and Soviet/Russian sea-based nuclear deterrence.
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