Compact hypersound: the Navy will receive lightweight Zircon missiles. “Effective deterrent weapon”: how the Zircon hypersonic missile will strengthen the capabilities of the Russian Navy Where are they going to use new missiles
The new Russian hypersonic missile could render the American missile defense system meaningless and give us an advantage for 30 years to come. The report on the successful testing of the latest Russian hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, the Zircon, became a real sensation. It's no joke, this device reached eight speeds of sound, that is, 2.5 km/sec. This achievement confidently puts Russia ahead in one of the most promising areas. After all, the development of hypersonic vehicles, besides us, is carried out by the United States and China, but they have not yet managed to show the world anything like that. Running with obstacles The speed record for modern anti-ship missiles is Mach 2.5 (M), or two and a half times the speed of sound. Such missiles are launched in the intended direction of the target's movement. However, even at such a missile flight speed, the target can change direction and go beyond the detection sector of the homing head. An obstacle to a further increase in speed is the thermal barrier. Flights of prototypes at 3 M were accompanied by heating of the edges of the air intakes and the leading edge of the wing to 300 °C, and the rest of the skin to 250. At 230 °C, the strength of duralumin decreases, at 520 °C titanium alloys lose the necessary mechanical properties. And at temperatures above 650 °C, aluminum and magnesium melt, and heat-resistant steel loses its properties. And this is when flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20 km in very rarefied air. Achieving a speed of 3 M at lower altitudes is not possible: the skin temperature would reach four-digit values. But on a high-altitude trajectory, the enemy will notice the missile launch within seconds after the launch and begin to prepare to repel the attack. What happens if his radar loses the missile? Well, let's say, it will be enveloped by a cloud of plasma, as happens at speeds of more than 4 - 5 M, that is, at hypersound? Most likely, he will decide that the signal was false and give up. But how can such a speed be achieved if the structure heats up and the fuel boils? To achieve hypersonicity, a rocket requires hydrogen, or at least fuel consisting largely of hydrogen. But gaseous hydrogen has low density, and storing liquid hydrogen creates insurmountable technical difficulties. In addition, the plasma cloud will burn the radio antennas, which will lead to loss of controllability of the device. 
Remember all On the still Soviet hypersonic missile Kh-90 GELA, these disadvantages were turned into advantages. The problem of cooling the body and hydrogen fuel was solved in such a way that a mixture of kerosene and water was used as its components. After heating, it was fed into a mini-reactor, where a reaction took place, resulting in the production of hydrogen fuel. This process simultaneously led to strong cooling of the machine body. The problem of burning radio antennas was solved in an equally original way, for which the plasma cloud itself was used. At the same time, it allowed the device not only to move in the atmosphere at a speed of 5 M, but also to sharply change the direction of flight. In addition, the plasma cloud also created the effect of an invisibility cap for radars. GELA flew 3000 km and, presumably, could carry two nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, the program was closed in 1992, then the country ran out of money, and it seemed that hypersonic flights had been forgotten. 
Birth of a rocket In 2011, NPO Mashinostroyenia created a group of designers to develop the hypersonic ship-based missile system ZK22 Zircon. The first tests and first failures occurred in 2012 and 2013. It took three years to eliminate the shortcomings, and only in 2016, after tests from a ground stand, did the developers announce the creation of a new hypersonic missile weapon. At the same time, it was said that it could go into production from 2017. Of course, the test results of such weapons are a closely guarded secret, but some assumptions about the characteristics of the Zircon of the first modification can be made. Already the first modification of this missile will have a range about 500 km at a speed of 2.5 km/sec, and with an increase in speed to 3.5 km/sec, the range will triple. The United States does not have anything similar to Zircon and is not expected to do so in the near future. It must be understood that at the speeds of this rocket, eight to ten times the speed of sound, no rockets air defense you can't knock her down. Thus, the reaction time of the US Aegis air defense missile system is about 8-10 seconds. “Zircon” at a speed of 2 km/sec will fly up to 25 km during this time; the air defense system will not physically have time to target such a target. Ground-based interceptor missiles also do not have time to catch up with “Zircon” and can only be used on a collision course. That is, “Zircons” are specifically designed to overcome enemy air defenses. 
New era It seems that the first ship to be armed with the ZK22 Zircon will be the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, which is currently undergoing modernization. The ship is due to return to service in the fleet in 2018. In addition, after the completion of modernization in 2022, another nuclear-powered cruiser, Pyotr Velikiy, will also be armed with these missiles. Currently, each of them has 20 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, and each can accommodate three Zircons. A total of 60 missiles on each cruiser instead of 20. And when we have the fifth-generation Husky submarine, on which the Zircon will be installed, we can confidently say that we have achieved superiority over the United States. 
It is no coincidence that Congressman Trend Franks commented on the situation: “The hypersonic era is approaching. Enemy developments radically change the fundamental laws of war.” And indeed it is. The emergence of long-range hypersonic cruise missiles with nuclear warheads will make any missile defense system meaningless for at least 30 years in the future. You can read other materials from the latest issue of the Zvezda weekly by downloading the electronic version of the newspaper.
TASS, citing a source in the military-industrial complex, during testing the missile was able to develop a marching speed of eight Mach numbers (9.9 thousand kilometers per hour). This is two Mach numbers higher than previously stated.
Collage by Andrey Sedykh
The development of a hypersonic cruise missile has been ongoing since the late 2000s. The new ammunition will be used to destroy enemy surface ships equipped with anti-aircraft and missile defense, which can effectively intercept modern supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.
Presumably the Zircon is a two-stage rocket that uses a solid-fuel rocket motor to gain speed. After turning off the solid fuel installation, the ramjet engine is turned on. According to unconfirmed reports, the missile's flight range is from 400 to a thousand kilometers.
Hypersonic Zircon missiles are planned to be included in the armament of fifth-generation nuclear submarines of the Husky project, which are being developed by the St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau Malachite. Such missiles will also be included in the range of weapons of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers Pyotr Velikiy and Admiral Nakhimov of Project 1144 Orlan.
In April last year it was reported that state tests of the new missile are planned to be completed in 2017. Serial production of Zircon should begin next year.
Vasily Sychev
The United States lost the ocean theater of war to Russia
The appearance of a serial hypersonic missile means a revolution in naval art: the relative parity in the offensive-defense system will change, the potential of attack weapons will radically exceed the capabilities of defense.
News of the successful testing of the latest Russian hypersonic missile has seriously worried the US military leadership. There, judging by media reports, they decided to develop countermeasures as quickly as possible. We did not pay due attention to this event. Meanwhile, the introduction of this missile into service will be a revolution in military shipbuilding, will significantly change the balance of forces in sea and ocean theaters, and will immediately render models that are still considered quite modern into obsolete.
NPO Mashinostroyenia has been conducting a unique development since at least 2011 (“Zircon”, five Machs from the target). In open sources, the scientific and production cooperation of enterprises and research institutions involved in its creation is presented quite fully for such a promising and, accordingly, closed project. But the performance characteristics of the missile are shown very sparingly. Essentially only two are known: the speed, which is estimated with good accuracy at Mach 5-6 (the speed of sound in the surface layer of the atmosphere) and a very approximate probable range of 800-1000 kilometers. True, some other important data is also available, based on which it is possible to approximately estimate the remaining characteristics.
On warships, the Zircon will be used from the 3S-14 universal vertical launch launcher, unified for Caliber and Onyx. The rocket must be two-stage. The starting stage is a solid propellant engine. Only a ramjet engine (ramjet engine) can be used as a propulsion engine. The main carriers of the Zircons are considered to be heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers (TARKR) of projects 11442 and 11442M, as well as the promising nuclear submarine with cruise missiles (SSGN) of the 5th generation "Husky". According to unconfirmed reports, the creation of an export version, BrahMos-II, is being considered, the model of which was presented at the DefExpo 2014 exhibition in February 2014.
At the beginning of this year, the first successful flight tests of a ground-launched missile took place. It is expected that they will be put into service with the start of delivery to ships of the Russian Navy before the end of the decade.
What can be learned from this data? Based on the assumption of placement in a unified launcher for “Caliber” and “Onyx”, we draw a conclusion about the dimensions and, in particular, that the energy of the Zircon seeker cannot significantly exceed the similar indicators of the two mentioned missiles, that is, it is 50-80 kilometers depending on the effective dispersion area (RCS) of the target. The warhead of an operational-tactical missile designed to destroy large surface ships cannot be small. Taking into account open data on the weight of the Onyx and Caliber warheads, it can be estimated at 250-300 kilograms.
The flight path of a hypersonic missile with a probable range of 800-1000 kilometers can only be high-altitude on the main part of the route. Presumably 30,000 meters, or even higher. This achieves a greater hypersonic flight range and significantly reduces the effectiveness of the most modern air defense systems. At the final stage, the missile will likely perform anti-aircraft maneuvering, in particular with a descent to extremely low altitudes.
The missile's control system and its seeker will likely contain algorithms that will allow it to autonomously identify the location of the main target in the enemy's order. The shape of the rocket (judging by the model) is made taking into account stealth technologies. This means that its EPR can be on the order of 0.001 square meters. The detection range of the Zircon by the most powerful radars of foreign surface ships and RLD aircraft is 90-120 kilometers in free space.
Obsolete "Standard"
This data is enough to evaluate the capabilities of the most modern and powerful air defense system of American Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Orly Burke-class guided missile destroyers based on the Aegis BIUS with the most modern Standard-6 missiles. This missile (full name RIM-174 SM-6 ERAM) was adopted by the US Navy in 2013. The main difference from previous versions of the “Standard” is the use of an active radar seeker, which allows you to effectively hit targets - “fire and forget” - without being accompanied by the firing radar of the carrier ship. This significantly increases the effectiveness of its use against low-flying targets, in particular beyond the horizon, and allows it to work according to external target designation data, for example, from an AWACS aircraft. With a launch weight of 1,500 kilograms, the Standard-6 has a range of 240 kilometers, and the maximum altitude for hitting air targets is 33 kilometers. The rocket's flight speed is 3.5 M, approximately 1000 meters per second. The maximum overload during maneuvering is about 50 units. The warhead is kinetic (for ballistic purposes) or fragmentation (for aerodynamic) weighing 125 kilograms - twice as much as in previous series of missiles. The maximum speed of aerodynamic targets is estimated at 800 meters per second. The probability of hitting such a target with one missile in field conditions is determined to be 0.95.
A comparison of the performance characteristics of the Zircon and Standard-6 shows that our missile falls within the range of the American missile defense system in height and is almost twice as high as permissible for it maximum speed aerodynamic targets - 1500 versus 800 meters per second. Conclusion: the American “Standard-6” cannot hit our “swallow”. However, this does not mean that hypersonic Zircons will not be fired upon. The Aegis system is capable of detecting such a high-speed target and issuing target designation for firing - it provides the ability to solve missile defense problems and even fight satellites, the speed of which is much higher than that of the Zircon anti-ship missile system. Therefore, shooting will continue. It remains to assess the likelihood of our missile being hit by an American missile defense system.
It should be noted that the kill probabilities given in the technical characteristics of missile defense systems are usually given for field conditions. That is, when the target does not maneuver and moves at a speed optimal for hitting it. In real combat, the probability of defeat is, as a rule, significantly lower. This is due to the peculiarities of the missile guidance process, which determine the specified restrictions on the permissible speed of a maneuvering target and the height of its destruction. We will not go into these details. It is important to note that the probability of hitting a maneuvering aerodynamic target with the Standard-6 missile system will be influenced by the detection range of the active seeker and the accuracy of the missile reaching the target capture point, the permissible overload of the missile during maneuvering and the density of the atmosphere, as well as errors in the location and elements of the target’s movement according to target designation radar and information control system.
All these factors determine the main thing - whether the missile defense system will be able to “select”, taking into account the maneuvering of the target, the magnitude of the miss to the level at which combat unit capable of hitting her.
There is no open data on the range of the active seeker of the Standard-6 missile defense system. However, based on the weight and size characteristics of the missile, it can be assumed that it will be able to see a fighter with an EPR of about five square meters within a range of 15-20 kilometers. Accordingly, for a target with an EPR of 0.001 square meters - the Zircon missile - the range of the Standard-6 seeker does not exceed two to three kilometers. When repelling attacking anti-ship missiles, shooting will naturally be carried out on a collision course. That is, the missiles’ approach speed will be about 2300-2500 meters per second. The missile defense system has less than one second to complete the approach maneuver from the moment the target is detected. The possibilities of reducing the size of the miss are negligible. Especially when it comes to interception at extreme altitudes - about 30 kilometers, where the rarefied atmosphere significantly reduces the maneuverability of missile defense systems. In fact, in order to successfully destroy a target such as the Zircon, the Standard-6 missile system must be launched at it with an error not exceeding the destruction zone of its warhead - 8-10 meters.
Sinking aircraft carriers
Calculations made taking into account these factors show that the probability of a Zircon missile being hit by one Standard-6 missile defense system is unlikely to exceed 0.02-0.03 under the most favorable conditions and target designation directly from the missile launch vehicle. When firing according to external target designation data, for example, an AWACS aircraft or another ship, taking into account errors in determining the relative location, as well as the delay time for information exchange, the error in the output of the missile defense system to the target will be greater, and the probability of hitting it will be less, and quite significantly - up to 0.005 -0.012. In general, it can be stated that the Standard-6, the most effective missile defense system in the Western world, has scanty capabilities to defeat the Zircon.
Collage by Andrey Sedykh
Someone may object to me: the Americans, from a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, hit a satellite flying at a speed of 27,000 kilometers per hour at an altitude of about 240 kilometers. But he did not maneuver and his position was determined with exceptionally high accuracy after long-term observation, which made it possible to launch the missile defense missile to the target without a miss. When repelling a Zircon attack, the defending side will not have such capabilities, and the anti-ship missiles will begin to maneuver.
Let's evaluate the possibility of destroying our anti-ship missiles with air defense systems of a Ticonderoga-class cruiser or an Orly Burke-class guided missile destroyer. First of all, it should be noted that the detection range of the Zircon radar for monitoring the airspace of these ships can be estimated at 90-120 kilometers. That is, the time it takes for the RCC to approach the mission execution line from the moment it appears on the enemy radar will not exceed 1.5 minutes. The closed air defense system of the Aegis system has about 30-35 seconds for everything. From two Mk41 air defense missile launchers, it is realistic to launch no more than four missiles capable of potentially, taking into account the remaining time, approaching the attacking target and hitting it - the probability of hitting the Zircon with the main air defense system of a cruiser or destroyer URO will be no more than 0.08-0.12. Capabilities of the ZAK self-defense ship - "Vulcan-Phalanx" in in this case negligible.
Accordingly, two such ships, even with full use of their air defense systems against one Zircon anti-ship missile, give a probability of its destruction of 0.16-0.23. That is, a KUG consisting of two URO cruisers or destroyers has little chance of destroying even a single Zircon missile.
Electronic warfare means remain. These are active distracting and passive interference. To set them, the time from the moment of detection of anti-ship missiles or the operation of their seeker is sufficient. The complex use of interference can disrupt the missile's aiming at a target with a decent probability, which, taking into account the operating time of the ship's electronic warfare system, can be estimated at 0.3-0.5.
However, when firing at a group target, there is a high probability that the anti-ship missile seeker will capture another target in the order. Just as in the fighting in the Falklands, an English aircraft carrier was able, by placing passive interference, to divert the Exocet anti-ship missile coming at it. Its seeker, having lost this target, captured the Atlantic Conveyors container ship, which sank after being hit by a missile. At the speed of the Zircon, another warrant ship that captures the anti-ship missile seeker will simply not have enough time to effectively use electronic warfare systems.
From these estimates it follows that a salvo of even two Zircon missiles at a KUG consisting of two Ticonderoga-class cruisers or Orly Burke-class guided missile destroyers with a probability of 0.7-0.8 will lead to the incapacitation or sinking of at least one from KUG ships. A four-missile salvo is almost guaranteed to destroy both ships. Since the Zircon’s firing range is almost twice that of the Tomahawk anti-ship missile system (about 500 km), the American KUG has no chance of winning a battle with our cruiser equipped with the Zircon anti-ship missile system. Even with the superiority of the Americans in reconnaissance and surveillance systems.
The situation is little better for the American fleet when the RF KUG, led by a cruiser equipped with the Zircon anti-ship missile, is opposed by an aircraft carrier strike group (AUG). The combat radius of deck attack aircraft when operating in groups of 30-40 vehicles does not exceed 600-800 kilometers. This means that it will be very problematic for the AUG to launch a preemptive strike on our naval formation with large forces capable of penetrating air defense. Strikes by small groups of carrier-based aircraft - pairs and units capable of operating at a distance of up to 2000 kilometers with refueling in the air - against our KUG with modern multi-channel air defense systems will be ineffective.
The release of our KUG for a salvo and the launch of 15-16 Zircon anti-ship missiles for the AUG will be fatal. The probability of the aircraft carrier being disabled or sunk will be 0.8-0.85 with the destruction of two or three escort ships. That is, the AUG with such a salvo will be guaranteed to be destroyed. According to open data, after modernization, Project 1144 cruisers should be equipped with a 3S-14 UVP with 80 cells. With such ammunition for the Zircon anti-ship missile, our cruiser can destroy up to three US AUGs.
However, no one will prevent in the future from placing the Zircon anti-ship missiles on both frigates and small missile ships, which, as is known, have 16 and 8 cells respectively for the Caliber and Onyx missiles. This will dramatically increase their combat capabilities and make them a serious adversary even for aircraft carrier groups.
Let us note that in the United States, hypersonic hypersonic missiles are also being intensively developed. But the Americans focused their main efforts on creating hypersonic missiles strategic purpose. There is no data yet on the development of anti-ship hypersonic missiles like the Zircon in the United States, at least in the public domain. Therefore, we can assume that the Russian Federation’s superiority in this area will last for quite a long time - up to 10 years or more. The question is, how do we use it? Will we be able to short time saturate the fleet with enough of these anti-ship missiles? Given the pitiful state of the economy and the sequestration of state defense orders, it’s unlikely.
The emergence of a serial hypersonic missile will require the development of new methods and forms of warfare at sea, in particular to destroy enemy surface forces and ensure the combat stability of our own. To adequately increase the potential of ship air defense systems, it is likely necessary to revise the conceptual basis for constructing such systems. This will take time - at least 10-15 years.
Serial name: 3m22;
Affiliation: interspecific missile system 3k22 “Zircon”;
Developer: NPO Mashinostroeniya;
Start of development: 2011.
Main characteristics:
- Hypersonic (that is, at least 5 times faster speed sound);
- Winged, unmanned, single launch;
- Highly accurate.
Appearance: box-shaped chopped body made of new heat-resistant alloys, flattened spade-shaped fairing (“nose”).
New Russian Zircon rocket.
Performance characteristics of a new generation missile
The information is indicative, based on indirect data and unconfirmed information, since the officially Russian hypersonic cruise missile Zircon 3M22 has not yet entered service.
| Parameter | Meaning | A comment |
| Launcher | 3s14, “revolving” type, deck and below deck placement | From 2 to 8 missiles Deck placement - vertical launch, below deck placement - inclined |
| Length | 8-10 m | The latest Russian missiles “Onyx” (P-800) and “Caliber” (3m54), similarly launched from 3s14 |
| Warhead weight | 300-400 kg | |
| Flight altitude | small (30-40 km), low dense layers of the atmosphere | The flight is carried out under the influence of its main engine (not the starting engine, not the booster engine, and not all kinds of auxiliary ones that correct the course) At lower altitudes, due to air resistance at such speeds, the skin may simply melt |
| Mach number | from 5 to 8 (according to some statements, this is not the limit) | Primitively speaking, the Mach number shows how many times the speed of the 3M22 cruise missile (at a specific altitude) exceeds the speed of sound. At different altitudes, the speed of sound is different (the higher, the lower), so the Mach number helps control the rocket's stability and course adherence Mahmeter readings: Below 0.8 - subsonic; 0.8 - 1.2 - transonic; 1 - 5 - supersonic; More than 5 - hypersound |
| Range | 300-500 km | The delivery of the warhead is carried out by new Russian launch vehicles |
| Trajectory | arbitrary, including winding (to bypass air defense), with contouring (to bypass radar equipment) | Unlike ballistic missiles, controlled internally (independently) and externally |
| Guidance | Inertial + radio altimeter + active radar + optical-electronic complex for searching targets | |
| Engine | direct-flow, supersonic combustion | It is possible to use fuel with increased energy intensity "Decilin-M". |
The expected movement of a new generation rocket can be seen in the report of Channel One.
Possible carriers (sea-based):
- Orlan-class nuclear-powered heavy cruisers; "Peter the Great"; "Admiral Nakhimov";
- heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet" Soviet Union Kuznetsov" (after modernization);
- nuclear destroyers "Leader" (project 23560);
- nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M series (improved fourth generation, project 885m); "Antey" (949a); "Husky" (fifth generation, in a special modification).
Background of the Russian hypersonic cruise missile
The Soviet Union was the first to arm itself with serial anti-ship cruise missiles. Zircon has become the latest development of Russian scientists. And the first copy was the Termit missile (P-15). In the 70s, supersonic and hypersonic cruise missiles of a new generation (X-50) were developed, but the work was not completed due to the collapse of the USSR.
this year the “Spiral” project was launched
The first hypersonic aircraft would be a booster aircraft for the Spiral (orbital aircraft) project, which began in 1965.
The reconnaissance disperser, also known as the “50-50” product, is:
- 38-meter tailless aircraft;
- delta wing with fender length 16.5 m;
- lowerable bow;
- hypersonic air intake;
- fundamentally new turbojet engines:
on kerosene: M=4, range = 6-7 thousand km,
on liquid hydrogen: M=5, range = 12000 km.
The plane was tested at TsAGI, but in the 70s the project was also closed.
In 1979 they returned to the topic of hypersonic engines. To recreate their operating conditions, anti-aircraft missiles were used: instead of a warhead, a block with equipment for testing was installed.
- Based on the 5V28 missiles, which were just about to be decommissioned, there was a hypersonic flying laboratory “Kholod”. For seven launches in 1991-1999. The operating time of the tested E-57 engine was increased to 77 seconds, the speed was increased to 1855 m/s (~6.5M);
- The Igla flying laboratory was created on the basis of the Rokot launch vehicle (a descendant of the intercontinental UR-100N). The model of which can still be seen at air shows. Laboratory operating conditions: M = 6-14, altitude = 25-50 km, flight time – 7-12 minutes.
Timeline of development of hypersonic cruise missiles
NPO Mashevsky patent shows a special feature of the rocket - a detachable warhead The development of the hypersonic Zircon belongs to NPO Mashinostroyenia and begins in 2011.
NPO Mashevsky patent shows a special feature of the rocket - a detachable warhead | date | Source | Event |
| Late 2011 | Airshow "Max", Lytkarino | First mention of the Zircon 3K22 complex, prototypes of hypersonic projectiles |
| 2011 | Corporate newspaper "Tribune of the Military-Industrial Complex" of NPOMash | A group of chief designers has been officially formed for the 3M22 project |
| 2011 | Annual report of PKB "Detal" | The preliminary designs of “Zircon-S-ARK” (automatic radio compass) and “Zircon-S-RV” (radio altimeter) were approved |
| 2011 | Report of NPO "Granit-Electron" | Draft designs and finished design documentation for inertial navigation and autopilot system 3M22 |
| 2011 | Strela software report | Plans for mass production new products, among which are the Zircon missiles |
| 2012 | NPO Mashinostroyenia report | Development of technologies for the production of optical-electronic and laser systems guidance and detection of hyper- and supersonic missiles |
| 2012 | Dmitry Rogozin | Unfulfilled plans to create a superholding for the development of hypersonic technologies |
| Summer 2012 | Open news sources | Aktyubinsk, training ground 929th state. flight research center, throw tests of Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles from a Tu-22M3 bomber (successful and unsuccessful) |
| September 2013 | Boris Obnosov | A prototype of a hypersonic missile (4.5 M), the problem is stable and long flight |
| Autumn 2015 | Modernization project "Admiral Nakhimov" | Almaz-Antey, among other things, must supply the 3K22 complex, that is, Zircon, for the conversion of the cruiser, no later than 2018 |
| December 15, 2015 | News sources | Arkhangelsk region, Nenoksa village, launch of an experimental model (unsuccessful) |
| February 2016 | News sources | 3K22 will arm the modernized Peter the Great (project 1144, heavy nuclear cruiser), as well as the fifth generation Husky submarine in one of the variants |
Testing of 3m22 Zircon anti-ship cruise missiles
News of the tests appeared several times in different news agencies, but there was no official confirmation, and the sources were also not disclosed. The reality of the announced tests is in question - are they simply a demonstration of force to intimidate a potential enemy?
They promise to put the promising missile into service in 2020; mass deliveries and the transition to hypersonics are predicted for a longer period - by 2040.
Perspectives and criticism
According to the project, the new generation Zircon 3M22 anti-ship cruise missile is universal and can be used by almost all ships, as well as the army (ground forces), military space forces, etc. However, due to the small amount of official information, many aspects of the design remain controversial.
| Problem | Possible Solution |
| Performance of a radio channel or homing head under conditions of aerodynamic heating. When flying in low layers of the atmosphere, the projectile is surrounded by a plasma cloud (a layer of ionized gases) and a serious distortion of target designation and radio traffic occurs. For space descent vehicles, this problem has not been solved. | Nuclear warhead and a huge target (for example a small city) |
| Reducing speed to transonic (Mach number = 0.8) near the target, turning on the homing head | |
| After determining the coordinates of the target, separation of the power plant (using pyro devices) and hitting the target with a gliding combat homing module (also less noticeable). | |
| High-precision satellite guidance, the strike is delivered by “smart” homing darts or high-explosive projectiles (a very controversial solution, like a thermal imaging homing head) | |
| Window for radio waves in the tail of the rocket (external control channel), multiple repetition of commands | |
| Low noise immunity of existing anti-ship hypersonic cruise missiles | |
| The radar homing head may melt due to aerodynamic heating | Adopting high temperature oxide ceramics for fairings and body (can withstand 1500 degrees) |
If all possible problems are successfully resolved, Zircon is a weapon that threatens to become exactly the formidable answer as it is positioned in the media. It is expected that the new Zircon missile will reduce the importance of aircraft carriers and capital ships in battle, and also encourage other states to modernize ship-based air defenses.
It is incredibly relevant, even taking into account the fact that the last global conflict occurred more than seventy years ago. However, local conflicts have not stopped since then, so every year countries develop more and more new weapons, spending billions of dollars on them. Naturally, as one of the superpowers, the Russian Federation. This article will discuss one of the country's latest developments - the Zircon anti-ship missile system. First, it’s worth understanding what anti-ship missiles are, as well as how this technology appeared. And then it will be possible to move directly to the consideration of the Zircon anti-ship missile system itself.
History of the RCC
An anti-ship missile is an anti-ship missile, that is, a type of weapon designed to destroy water targets. The first projects of such weapons appeared during the First World War, when military technologists dreamed of unmanned aircraft, which could move freely through the air and hit enemy targets. However, for the first time such a project was implemented not on paper, but in reality already during the Second World War. In 1943, Germany successfully used a similar anti-ship missile - and since then active production of this type of weapon began.
During World War II, similar missiles were also created by Japan and the United States of America, and fifteen years after the end of the war, the first anti-ship missile developed was used in the USSR - it was the P-15 Termit missile. Since then the most different countries manufactured various anti-ship missiles, which were constantly developed and improved. If the first German anti-ship missile of 1943 could attack only at a distance of 18 kilometers, then the Soviet anti-ship missile of 1983 P-750 “Meteor” could already cover a distance of up to 5,500 kilometers.
However, in the conditions of modern combat operations, the most important aspect has become not the range of the attack or even its strength, but invisibility - today a launched “Meteor”, which is about thirteen meters in length, will be instantly noticed by radars and shot down. That is why modern rockets are much smaller in size, but are still capable of, for example, most fly distances at a very low altitude, remaining invisible to enemy radar, and then fly up sharply right in front of the target in order to most effectively attack this target.
Moreover, modern designers are working on creating an anti-ship missile system that could independently select a target and plot a route to it, thereby greatly increasing the effectiveness of the weapon. However, these are American designers - but what about Russia?
This is where you need to switch to the Zircon anti-ship missile system. Development of this missile has been going on for a long time, and testing, apparently, began back in 2012, but this information has not been confirmed. The Zircon anti-ship missile system should become a new word in the history of the arms race - but what is it? What information about her has already become known to the public?
What kind of rocket is this?
The 3M22 Zircon missile is one of the latest developments by Russian military technologists. Strictly speaking, if we describe this project briefly, it is a hypersonic anti-ship missile for operational purposes. Work on the development, production, testing and commissioning began already in 2011 - that’s when the first mentions appeared in the press. However, in reality, the work could have been carried out earlier, but this information is unlikely to be published or confirmed by anyone. The production of this rocket is carried out by NPO Mashinostroyenia - and based on this information, other rumors appeared, namely that the 3M22 Zircon rocket is a direct successor to another project of the same manufacturer, the Bolid missile system.
Some components
So, now you know what Zircon missiles are, and also when their development began. Of course, there are supporters of the theory that the whole process was launched much earlier, but many theories can be come up with. As for the facts, there is documentation according to which it was in 2011 that a special group was organized, consisting of leading designers in the industry, which was tasked with developing this rocket and the missile system as a whole.
The first drawings of both the rocket itself and its various subsystems date back to 2011. All developments were carried out at NPO Mashinostroeniya, as well as at its structural divisions, including UPKB Detal. However, the direct mass production of these missiles will be carried out at the Strela Production Association in the city of Orenburg. These are preliminary data, which may change in the future, but as of 2016, it was planned to use the Orenburg Strela to produce Zircon missiles.
Suspension of development
In 2012, stunning information began to leak into the press - data appeared that the new Zircon rocket may never be born. Multiple sources have reported that the project is either completely shut down or put on hold to allow major changes to be made. There was no confirmation at that time, so people could only guess whether work on this project would be resumed.
As a result, the country’s government decided to merge NPO Mashinostroyenia, which was working on the project, with the Raduga IKB - this step was taken in order to resume work on a project so important for the country’s military sphere. “Zircon” was obliged to enter service with the Russian Navy no matter what, so all necessary measures were taken to ensure that the project was unfrozen.
As a result, work on the rocket resumed, and in the spring of 2013 the public learned that during the previous year some difficulties had arisen, so work on the project was suspended, but there could be no talk of canceling the development of the Zircon rockets.
Current situation
What's going on with this project? last years? Naturally, during 2013 and 2014, the project was actively developed - as mentioned earlier, there is even information that its first tests were carried out much earlier, but no one confirms this information. If you believe official sources, it was only in the summer of 2015 that it was announced that the missiles were ready for testing. Most likely, early tests still took place, but in 2015 we were talking about full-scale tests at the state level.
As a result, in February 2016, it was reported that tests had already begun - and upon their completion, it would be announced that the project was ready for mass production. In April 2016, it was reported that the tests would last for a whole year and would be completed in 2017, and in 2018, serial production of the Zircon anti-ship missile system would be launched. The characteristics of this rocket have not yet been fully disclosed, but quite a lot of details are already known, about which we'll talk Further.
Starting equipment
The 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile will be launched from the Russian missile cruiser 11442M. Naturally, it is impossible to launch a rocket without the use of additional equipment, simply by loading it on board the ship. That is why these cruisers will be equipped with a special launcher 3S-14-11442M. This is a vertical launch installation, which significantly improves the functionality of this type of weapon. However, it is worth remembering that although this data is quite recent, it remains speculative - everything may change over time, but today this is the most relevant information.
Control and guidance systems
The control and guidance systems that will be used to power Russia's Zircon missiles have also been developed separately. This is quite logical, since it is in these systems that the main capabilities of anti-ship missiles lie. As mentioned earlier, the first anti-ship missiles could not fly very far, and the guidance was carried out rather crudely. IN modern world The conditions are completely different, so much more attention is paid to the launch, control and guidance of missiles.
Nowadays, anti-ship missiles can fly at incredibly low altitudes to avoid enemy radars, and also plot their own route to the target, which is the most effective, and adjust it as they go. Systems for the Zircon rocket were developed at various points. For example, the autopilot and inertial navigation system was developed at NPO Granit-Electron, and the control system itself was developed at NPO Electromechaniki. Also, some elements were developed by the above-mentioned NPO Mashinostroeniya, namely UPKB Detal.
Engines
As for the engines that will power the rocket, they were developed back in 2009-2010 - naturally, no one made an official statement. Moreover, these engines were allegedly developed and produced for a foreign customer, however, most likely, this information was disseminated only as a diversion. Accordingly, by the time the design of the Zircon missiles began, the engines for it were ready and tested in practice.
Specifications
One of the most interesting points, naturally, is specifications of this rocket. What is she capable of? What kind of competition can the leading RCC of our time create? It is worth remembering that the last successful model of anti-ship missiles created on the territory of the Russian Federation was the P-800 Onyx - this missile could attack at a distance of up to 300 kilometers and flew at a speed of Mach 0.85. What can the Zircon anti-ship missile system offer?
The speed of this rocket is impressive and represents one of the biggest advantages of the project. According to preliminary data, it will be able to reach a speed of about 4.5 mach, but there are suggestions that in the final product the speed will be able to reach even six mach. As for the distance at which this missile will operate, here too the creators are simply amazing. According to the first data, it will be 300-400 kilometers, but this information is not final. There is information that by the time it goes into mass production, the range of the Zircon anti-ship missile system will be at least 800 kilometers and can reach even a thousand kilometers.
Tests
As already mentioned, the first official test of the Zircon rocket was carried out only in 2015, but numerous sources indicate that this is not the whole truth. Yes, indeed, at the official state level, the first tests began in 2015, they took place throughout 2016 and will be completed in 2017. Based on their results, a decision will be made on the need for any modifications, after which the new anti-ship missile will be put into mass production.
However, it is still worth familiarizing yourself with some assumptions. For example, somewhere in July-August 2012, a throw test of this missile was carried out from a Tu-22M3 aircraft over Akhtubinsk - it was unsuccessful, and many sources claim that it was for this reason that the development of the project was suspended in the same year.
A year later, there, in Akhtubinsk, another test was carried out - again the rocket was dropped from an airplane, however, this launch was also unsuccessful, the flight was too short. Reasons to believe that this missile was the Zircon anti-ship missile were given in an interview with the head of KTRV, in which he said that the Russian Federation already has missiles that fly hypersonic.
In September of the same year, the third one was carried out from an airplane over Akhtubinsk - and it again turned out to be unsuccessful. Most likely, it was a prototype of the Zircon missile or some other hypersonic prototype that was being tested at that time on the territory of the Russian Federation.
As mentioned earlier, in the summer of 2015 there was no longer a need for secret launches, as it was announced that the Zircon anti-ship missile system was ready for full-scale state tests. And the first test took place in December of the same year - it was no longer a launch from an airplane. A ground launch complex was installed at the Nenoksa training ground, from which the first official launch was made. However, it turned out to be unsuccessful - the rocket, having taken off into the air, almost immediately fell to the ground.
All these tests were unsuccessful, but the rocket had to fly someday. And this happened in March 2016. At the same Nenoksa training ground, a launch was made from the same ground launch complex, which turned out to be successful. It was then that the media officially announced that testing of the new Zircon anti-ship missile system had begun.
Carriers
So, tests of the Zircon anti-aircraft missile system have been underway for about a year; this year it is planned to complete these tests and, with a successful combination of circumstances, launch mass production. But where will these missiles go when they are ready? It was already reported above that the cruiser 11442M will be armed with them, which is currently undergoing modernization to be able to carry these missiles.
However, there are also longer-term plans. Firstly, the Zircon anti-ship missiles will be installed on the cruiser 11442 Peter the Great, the modernization of which is planned for 2019. In addition, these missiles will be supplied to fifth-generation Husky submarines. These nuclear attack submarines have not even entered production yet. They are at the design stage. But the Zircon anti-ship missiles were created largely with the goal of integrating them into the Husky systems, which would make these submarines incredibly dangerous and deadly effective.
