Zircon missile: Russian Cruised Hypersonic Anti-ship Anti-Ship Missile 3M22, History of Creation, Design Features, Test Results

Hypersonic technologies, which are embodied in the Russian Zircon missile, are a new word in the military sphere. Both Russian and foreign experts recognize this fact. Zircon managed to achieve the highest technological efficiency. And although the project is classified, successful tests are already known.

Judging by the stated characteristics, the main trump card of this weapon is speed. About 8 M, this is more than 9000 km/h, which was recorded at the peak of the trajectory - this is a guarantee that it is absolutely impossible to intercept the missile with existing defense systems.

The urgency of creating new supersonic weapons

In view of the intensive strengthening of American missile defense systems near the borders of Russia, the country's Ministry of Defense made a strategic decision to actively counter this by creating new hypersonic missiles. One of them is the ZK-22, the Zircon hypersonic missile. Russia, according to its military experts, will be able to effectively resist any potential aggressor only if it urgently modernizes its army and navy.

The essence of modernization of the Russian Navy

Since 2011, according to the plan of the Russian Ministry of Defense, work has been carried out to create such a unique weapon as the Zircon missile. The characteristics of supersonic missiles are distinguished by one common quality - the highest speed. They are so fast that the enemy may have difficulty not only in intercepting them, but also in trying to detect them. According to military experts, the Zircon cruise missile today is a very effective weapon that deters any aggression. The characteristics of the product allow us to consider this weapon a modern hypersonic sword of the Russian air and naval fleet.

The history of the creation of the newest rocket

The data obtained during the tests indicate that the Russian defense industry was able to create a combat cruise missile that reached hypersonic speed (5-6 times higher than the speed of sound). The 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile turns modern air defense systems into a pile of unnecessary rubbish.

The emergence of the newest superweapon has its own backstory, consisting of a chain of important facts. Work on creating a rocket capable of flying at hypersonic speeds was carried out in the USSR back in the mid-70s. Back in the 70s, the Dubna design bureau "Raduga" developed the X-90 cruise missile, capable of reaching speeds of up to 3-4 M in flight. However, with the collapse of the Union, due to lack of funding, the work was curtailed. Only 20 years later they returned to this topic again, but on the basis of new technologies.

The first information about the development of a new anti-ship complex equipped with cruise operational-tactical missiles appeared at the end of 2011.

The development of a prototype of a hypersonic missile was carried out by the Central Institute of Aviation Engine Engineering (CIAM) in the city of Lytkarino, Moscow region.

The anti-ship missile model presented at the exhibition stands was strikingly different in its shape from the familiar cigar-shaped cruise missiles. It was a box-shaped body with a flattened spade-shaped fairing. At the air show, the name of the unusual missile system, “Zircon,” was announced for the first time.

In parallel, the latest radio altimeter and automatic radio compass were being developed. The research and production enterprise Granit-Electron was actively involved in the creation of navigation equipment and autopilot systems.

The parent enterprise of PA Strela, which produces the Onyx anti-ship missile systems, announced the start of preparing a production base for the production of the latest cruise missile. According to many sources, the latest weapons system will be able to radically change the situation at sea. However, after the MAKS air show, almost all information about progress on the Zircon topic disappeared from public information resources.

The scant information leaked to the media was clearly insufficient. And only by the scale of involvement of the largest specialized enterprises in the Zircon project could one judge the properties of this project.

Laws of the pack

Cruise missiles are one of the most formidable offensive weapons. They can fly over wave crests, blending into the sea and becoming invisible to radar. They can organize themselves into groups and even make decisions about who will attack and who will become a “decoy” for aviation and ship air defense systems. All this became possible back in the mid-70s of the last century, when the P-700 “Granit” missile appeared in the arsenal of our fleet - a machine the size of a MiG-21 fighter, capable of “thinking”. Its on-board computer was the first in the world to have artificial intelligence comparable to human intelligence.

After the launch, “Granit” itself looked for the target. Classified it as a single ship, carrier group, convoy or landing order. Electronic portraits of each of the potential victims were stored in his memory. All our submarines and surface ships, which carried out many months of combat service in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and numerous seas, were engaged in collecting this data. But the most interesting thing began when the rocket was “waiting” for the last, 24th “partner” to exit the silo. Designers from the NPO Mashinostroeniya near Moscow do not particularly advertise this moment when, lined up like a wolf pack, the “Granites” began a driven hunt.

In this case, only one of the missiles can see the target. She will tell the “accomplices” who it is and what it is. And then the machines will distribute the roles of “attacker” and “victim” among themselves. They will choose an attack tactic and begin executing it. At the same time, having destroyed the main target, they will immediately redistribute combat tasks among themselves and begin to destroy other ships in the group.

“Granit” is still in service. Even today it is capable of sinking the most modern American aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford worth $13 billion. And it’s not even a matter of money, but the fact that the loss of such a combat unit would be considered “unacceptable damage” in modern military doctrines and the reason for the end of any war conflict. Nuclear, including.

Fields of science involved in development

High temperature is a common environment in which the Zircon rocket carries out its maneuverable flight after acceleration. The characteristics of a homing system at supersonic speeds during flight can be significantly distorted. The reason for this is the formation of a plasma cloud that can block the target from the system and damage the sensor, antenna and controls. To fly at hypersonic speeds, missiles must be equipped with more advanced avionics. The serial production of the ZK-22 involves such sciences as materials science, engine engineering, electronics, aerodynamics and others.

Hypersonic missile "Zircon"

The solutions used on the Zircon hypersonic missile were tested on the X-90 GELA. Then unique developments made it possible to significantly increase the maximum speed of the new carrier. For example, in order to catch a radio signal, they began to use a plasma cloud that formed during flight.

In order to reduce the heating of all parts of the rocket, it was decided to use fuel with a high content of hydrogen with admixtures of water and kerosene. The bottom line was that the mixture was heated and fed into a mini-reactor, where hydrogen was released for acceleration. The reaction itself was accompanied by a decrease in temperature, which made it possible to cool the shell and parts. All these ideas made it possible to get very close to achieving even supersonic speed.

Known technical characteristics of 3K22 “Zircon”

The speed of the Zircon allows it to easily bypass all currently existing missile defense and air defense systems. In support of these words, data from open sources is provided that advanced American missile defense systems respond to an object in 8-10 seconds. It is obvious that the Zircon, even at marching speed, will cover 15-20 km during this time and turn into an unattainable goal. It will be impossible to catch up with him or intercept him.

Little is known about the missile's armament. However, today Zircon is positioned as a complex of anti-ship missiles. Its main targets will probably be well-fortified aircraft carriers. Hence the second name - “aircraft carrier killer”.

Hypersonic missile and modernization of heavy cruisers

After 2013, information about Project 3K22 missiles again disappeared from open sources. In the fall of 2015, people started talking about the missile in connection with the modernization of the Admiral Nakhimov.

According to the agreement between PA Sevmash (engaged in the re-equipment of TARKR) and the Almaz-Antey , the latter must supply ten vertical launchers (UVPU) ZS-14-11442M for the modernization of the Project 11442 heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser taking place at the enterprise .

Carrying eighty hypersonic Zircons, the Peter the Great will be capable of destroying in a matter of minutes not only a couple of carrier strike groups of a potential enemy, but the entire military fleet of a power such as Turkey.

According to available data, one of the carriers of the Zircon should be the fifth-generation submarine Husky Malachite Marine Engineering Bureau . According to the developers, the newest nuclear submarine is designed on one basic platform in two versions. Firstly, it is multi-purpose, focused on combating enemy submarines. Secondly, an anti-aircraft submarine, armed with cruise missiles, including Zircons.

Only five years passed from the appearance of the first information about the new rocket and the creation of a group of chief designers to the start of testing. Probably, Zircon is based on technical solutions that are largely ready-made and proven.

“State tests of Zircon, in accordance with the contract, are planned to be completed in 2022, and its mass production to begin next year,” said a representative of the defense industry.

Cruise missiles "Zircon" (3M22) are intended, first of all, to replace the heavy anti-ship missiles of the "Granit" complexes in the fleet's arsenal and should be part of the armament of promising ships of the ocean zone (missile cruisers) of the "Leader" type and modernized nuclear cruisers of Project 1144 " Orlan" .

According to the channel's sources, US intelligence reports say that Russia will be able to begin serial production of Zircons in 2022, and their deliveries to the troops will begin in 2022.

The name “Zircon” was not mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his message to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2022, a significant part of which was devoted to the presentation of new types of weapons, including hypersonic ones. “The possession of such weapons certainly provides serious advantages in the field of armed struggle. Its power and might, as military experts say, can be enormous, and its speed makes it invulnerable to today’s missile defense and air defense systems, since anti-missiles, to put it simply, simply cannot catch up with them. Russia has such weapons. It already exists,” Putin said then, referring to the Kinzhal air-launched system.

Where are the new missiles planned to be used?

After the completion of further planned state tests, hypersonic missiles will be equipped with Huskies (multi-purpose nuclear submarines), Leader cruisers and the modernized nuclear cruisers Orlan and Pyotr Velikiy. The heavy nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov will also be equipped with the Zircon anti-ship missile. The characteristics of the new ultra-high-speed weapon are much superior to similar models - for example, such as the Granit complex. Over time it will be replaced by ZK-22. Exclusively promising and modernized submarines and surface vessels will use the Zircon missile.

First test results

The first tests of the Zircon rocket were carried out at the State Flight Test Center (Akhtubinsk) in 2012-2013. The long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22M3 was chosen to play the “role” of the carrier.

Testing was continued 2 years later, but from a ground launcher. Tu-22M3

The fact that Russia will soon have a new formidable weapon became clear after successful tests last year.

Tests should be completed this year, and a year later Zircon is expected to go into mass production.

Timeline of development of hypersonic cruise missiles

The development of the hypersonic Zircon belongs to NPO Mashinostroyenia and begins in 2011.

The main technical subtleties and nuances in creating a new generation rocket

The need to create a new anti-ship missile did not arise immediately. The P-600 Granit and P-800 Oniks missile systems currently in service with the fleet continue to be a formidable force today.

However, the development of ultra-modern shipborne air defense systems does not stand still.

According to experts in the field of operational-tactical weapons, in a couple of years the combat capabilities of sea-based cruise missiles will be exhausted due to the effective countermeasures of ship-based missile defenses.

In this regard, the idea of ​​a significant modernization of the Russian Navy arose by equipping existing and under construction ships with new types of weapons. One of the directions in this regard was the development and creation of a new anti-ship complex with high-speed cruise missiles.

The presence of such weapons on large and small ships of the fleet will become an effective tool of deterrence at sea. The new 3M22 missile has unique tactical and technical characteristics, but there is still no exact data on the missile’s combat parameters.

Even preliminary data suggests that the new weapon is a serious leap towards the transition to new types and types of weapons.

There is a development overseas - a prototype of the XM37A hypersonic missile. Despite the fact that the latest technological developments are used in the design of the model, this flying vehicle is created as an integral part of the warhead of a strategic missile. A powerful weapon will change the entire understanding of the operation of the missile defense system.

What surprised the world

After the first tests, it became clear that the new missile is capable of flying twice as fast as the latest British sea-launched cruise missile, Sea Ceptor. The anti-missile missiles currently in service with NATO fleets are capable of successfully combating Granit anti-ship missiles and similar aircraft, the speed of which reaches 2000-2500 km/h. Western anti-missile missiles are powerless against the latest Russian development. The flight range of the Russian anti-ship missile will be approximately 300-400 km, which is quite enough to effectively destroy ships outside the zone of establishing radio contact.

As it later became known, the Zircon missiles became a modernized version of the Indian sea-based cruise missile Bramos, which was created jointly by the two countries. The basis for the development of the latest weapons was the P-800 Onyx anti-ship complex. The emphasis in the development of the rocket was on its high speed. According to experts, the new generation of high-speed anti-ship missiles pose a big problem for air defense systems. The time to detect a projectile flying towards the target is extremely short in order not only to qualify the type of threat, but also to take adequate countermeasures.

Russian nuclear-powered cruisers of Project 1144, re-equipped with the latest cruise missiles, will again become a real threat to the dominance of the American fleet on the seas. Initially, it is planned to equip the modernized Admiral Nakhimov TARKR with new missile systems. Later, the same fate awaits the flagship of the Northern Fleet TARKR "Peter the Great". The plans include the construction of Husky-class nuclear attack submarines armed with hypersonic cruise missiles, which will radically shift the balance of the world's naval forces towards the Russian fleet.

Main difficulties at hypersonic speeds

Hypersonic and supersonic technologies have been developed for so long for the simple reason that their implementation required the latest ideas and unique engineering solutions.

Today, anti-ship missiles are widely used, which reach a speed of 3-4 thousand km/h or 2.5-3 M. But such cruise weapons have their drawbacks. Thus, they are launched in the direction of the target, deprived of the ability to maneuver effectively. The missiles gain a high altitude, which makes it possible to detect them almost immediately and calculate their trajectory. The attacked object has a greater chance of successfully leaving the affected area.

Higher speeds (which Zircon is now developing) led to understandable difficulties.

Flights even in the upper layers of the atmosphere (about 20 km) with a speed of more than 3 M were marked by the appearance of a thermal barrier. Due to air resistance, the main parts were subject to serious heating. Thus, the air intakes reached 3000C, and other parts, even with excellent streamlining qualities, heated up to 2500.

During the tests it became clear that:

• Duralumin elements, which are widely used in aviation, lose a lot of strength already at 2300;
• at 5200 titanium and its alloys begin to deform;
• at 6500, the melting of magnesium and aluminum begins, even heat-resistant steel significantly loses its hardness.

If we talk about a flight altitude of less than 20 km (which would lead to difficulties in detection and interception), then the heating of the skin would reach 10,000C, which no known metal can withstand. Temperature is the main problem of hypersonic speeds.

Even if we do not take into account the enormous heating of the metal and the parts necessary for guidance, the fuel begins to boil and decompose, losing its properties.

The problem could be solved using hydrogen. But in liquid form it is quite dangerous and difficult to store. And in gaseous form it occupies a large volume and has low efficiency. An antenna operating at radio frequency required serious and lengthy development. Classic signal receivers certainly burned out within a few seconds of hypersonic flight. The lack of communication with the center would lead to uncontrollability of the weapon and the loss of very important advantages.

You may not be “Zircon”

The development of hypersonic technology not only gives us a military advantage over the American fleet. During MAKS 2019, the manufacturer of our cruise missiles, the Tactical Missile Arms Corporation (KTRV), in addition to its main products, actively promoted civilian products. Today it needs to be produced as part of the diversification of production due to a decrease in purchases within the framework of the state defense order. Can you imagine what the “rocket scientists” can offer to the market?

It turned out to be a hip joint endoprosthesis made of a “carbon-carbon” composite. According to the company's press release, this material can withstand a combustion temperature of 2.5 thousand degrees and its properties are very similar to human bone tissue. It is used to protect hypersonic aircraft. And in medicine, this is the very ideal material that, unlike titanium, takes root in the human body and does not require repeated operations to replace it.

But whether this material serves as the “skin” for the Zircon or another KTRV product, the Avangard maneuvering hypersonic nuclear unit, is completely unimportant. The point is that even during the development of the most powerful modern missiles, technologies that are very necessary in peaceful life are being developed

Engine and fuel

An object whose speed is at least 4,500 km/h is considered hypersonic or ultra-high-speed. When creating such weapons, developers face many scientific and technical problems. Among them, very pressing questions are how to accelerate a rocket using a traditional jet engine and what fuel to use? Russian development scientists made a decision: to accelerate the ZK-22, use a special ramjet engine, which is characterized by supersonic combustion. These engines operate on the new fuel “Decilin-M”, which has an increased energy intensity (20%).

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.

Hypersonic fists of giants

"Zircon" is designed to destroy large, well-protected enemy ships. In the medium term, missiles of this type will replace heavy anti-ship missiles (ASMs) of the Soviet-made Granit.

In addition to nuclear submarines, it is planned to equip battleships and missile submarines with Zircons. In particular, they will be adopted by the Peter the Great missile cruiser.

“At the moment, the missiles are undergoing state flight design tests, based on the results of which a decision will be made on their adoption,” a source in the shipbuilding industry said in February. It is known that “Peter the Great” should undergo repairs in the third quarter of 2022, and leave at the end of 2022. Another source reported that the flagship of the Northern Fleet will receive universal launchers “3S-14”, which can be “loaded” with Onyx, Caliber and Zircon missiles, depending on the assigned tasks.

As for the fifth-generation Husky submarines, in July 2015, the head of the state defense order department of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, Anatoly Shlemov, told reporters that submarines of this type are being developed in two versions. The first of them, the nuclear submarine hunter, is designed to destroy enemy submarines. The other, the “aircraft carrier killer,” will be armed with anti-ship missiles. Both boats are built on the same platform; The difference will be the insertion of a compartment with anti-ship missiles into the hull of the “aircraft carrier killer”.

Military experts note that another advantage of the Zircon is its relatively small size. Three Zircons are placed in one Granit launch silo. This means that Orlan-class cruisers will be able to carry 72 missiles instead of 24.

The cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, which was docked in Severodvinsk, was the first to be re-equipped with new missiles.

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 the modern world, 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.

Prospects

Initially, the Zircons were designed as “aircraft carrier killers” - sea-based missiles that would be equipped with the 5th generation Husky nuclear submarines. However, it is not difficult to assume that over time they will be able to launch from surface ships, ground-based launchers and from attack aircraft.

Equipping the Russian Army with Zircon missiles could seriously affect the balance of forces. First, US carrier strike forces will become even more vulnerable.

Secondly, the unique high-speed and maneuverable characteristics of the domestic hypersonic missile will reduce the effectiveness of the American missile defense system to almost zero.

Design and where Zircon will be used

The Zircon rocket was kept a closely guarded secret for a long time. And today, very few people have been able to see this weapon with their own eyes. However, we can conclude that the length of the rocket reaches 8...10 m. It has a tail unit, as well as fairings in the middle part.

A characteristic feature is the nose part, which is a flattened fairing that extends to the sides.

It is planned to replace the P-700 Granit complex with hypersonic missiles. To date, the flagships of the fleet, Admiral Nakhimov and Peter the Great, have been armed with them and carriers of the Onyx and Caliber types. After their reconstruction, it is likely that the Zircons will form the basis of the weapons.

Already in 2022, Admiral Nakhimov should undergo a complete modernization. "Peter the Great" - in 2022. New projects are also being designed for armament with Zircons. These include:

• nuclear destroyers of the Leader project;

Potential carriers of Zircon

The most interesting thing is that “Onyx” is now being used by coastal missile forces as part of the “Bastion” complex. It is installed on the latest Project 955 Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines. Apparently, it will be installed as part of the modernization on the Antey project nuclear submarines and Orlan project cruisers as a replacement for the Granit missiles.

The first of the four Orlans, Admiral Nakhimov, is already docked in Severodvinsk, awaiting rearmament. The Irkutsk nuclear submarine is being modernized in the Far East. She is the first, and behind her are seven more similar ships.

A special project on the topic: Secrets of the Project 855 Yasen multi-purpose submarine TASS talks about the masterpiece of Russian underwater shipbuilding

“Onyx” is in the “standard” ammunition load of the newest Project 885M Yasen-M submarines. The boat has eight cruise missile launchers. In total, the Navy also plans to receive seven such ships by 2027.

And there are also small missile ships “Buyany” and “Karakurt” - carriers of “Caliber” missiles. We have 18 of them. Plus Bastion coastal mobile missile systems. They serve in Crimea, but recently they also fired at a naval target in the Tiksi area. Having shown that they are capable of defending Russian interests not only in the Black Sea, but also in the distant Arctic borders. As reported, another potential carrier of the Zircon has set sail - the Project 22350 frigate Admiral Gorshkov, part of the Northern Fleet. This is a new ship, and it is equipped with the same 3S14, which makes it possible to assume that it will fire at least a “Caliber”, and at most a hypersonic missile.

Hypersonic projects of the USA and other countries

Leading world analysts admit that Russia has achieved the almost impossible, breaking the speed of 7 Mach. Until recently, such acceleration was considered unattainable. "Zircon" flies at a speed of 8 M.

Zircon's competitors

The main competitor of Zircon is the US project AHW, which is capable of accelerating to Mach 7.5. Just like the Russian development, it is kept secret. It is only known that his tests are being carried out with varying degrees of success. In 2011, out of two launches, one ended in an explosion. In 2014, the Americans presumably also failed.

Another direction is that the X-43A and X-51 Wave Ryder missiles produce 9.65 and 5.1 M, respectively. But the first tests showed that the engine on the X-43 worked for no more than 11 seconds, and on the X-51 - 6 minutes. China is imposing serious competition on Russia and the United States. The PRC is developing the DF-ZF project. It is believed that the speed of the rocket fluctuates in the range of 5...10 M. A serious advantage of the Chinese is that they plan to develop hypersonic weapons for installation on aircraft.

The future of the 3Q22 project, if successfully implemented, is obvious.

If this super-secret project really delivers the stated characteristics in terms of speed and range, then this type of weapon was decades ahead of its time. Experts believe that the most advanced powers will be able to neutralize the advantages of Zircon no sooner than in 30...50 years.

The missiles put into service will provide Russia with an advantage at sea. Based on board submarines, they will protect the closest borders of our country, threatening large enemy naval formations.

What the latest tests of an anti-ship missile showed

The current message from the Russian Ministry of Defense could be called a victory report, if not for one “but” - it contains a lot of familiar words. “The lead frigate of Project 22350, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, carried out another firing of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile from the White Sea at a complex target position located in the White Sea,” this is in a fresh message dated November 26. It also notes that the Zircon missile successfully hit a naval target at a distance of 450 kilometers, and the flight speed was more than Mach 8. Doesn't remind you of anything?

Let's look, as they say, into the calendar - the archive of publications of "SP", which on October 11 of this year cited the words of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov , who on October 7 reported to President Vladimir Putin about the successful testing of the Zircon missile from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov ", which launched it from the White Sea. The missile's flight range was 450 kilometers, and its maximum altitude was 28 kilometers. The missile flew for 4.5 minutes at a speed of Mach 8 and hit a target in the Barents Sea. “The launch objectives have been completed. The shooting was declared successful. A direct hit of the missile on the target was recorded... After the completion of state tests, it is planned to equip submarines and surface ships with the Zircon complex,” General Gerasimov reported then.

That is, with a difference of 50 days, exactly the same launch of the hypersonic Zircon was made - the speed, as you can see, increased slightly, but the range of hitting the target with the 3M22 anti-ship cruise missile (part of the 3K22 Zircon complex, according to NATO codification - SS -N-33) again actually amounted to 450 kilometers. Is this a failure or planned tests, a step-by-step achievement of all the declared parameters of the rocket?

Here we can recall that back on November 1, the well-informed TASS agency, citing its sources in the Russian military department, reported that the Northern Fleet would launch a Zircon missile at a range of about 1000 kilometers, which should hit a target simulating an aircraft carrier.

And here we are again, twenty-five (450 km). And again, the same frigate Admiral Gorshkov is used as a test bed for the Zircon, although the purpose of this hypersonic missile involves their use by underwater carriers, as well as aircraft. By the way, at the first tests, which took place at the State Flight Test Center (Akhtubinsk) in 2012-2013, the Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber was chosen as the carrier for the hypersonic cruise missile.

And the point here is not even that during the development of 3M22, in addition to the option of using submarines and surface ships, an aviation option was also envisaged. Launches from an aircraft make it possible to track the parameters and characteristics of the tested product to a greater extent.

But we have not yet heard about the testing of Zircon from aboard a nuclear submarine, although the Chief of the General Staff told Putin about this. And here the priority is obvious in the possibility of using hypersonic anti-ship missiles from surface carriers.

Here we can draw an analogy with the cruise missiles of the Kalibr complex family, which in the Kalibr-PL (Club-S) version are intended for installation on submarines, “slowed down” in front of the Kalibr-NK (Clab-N) missile complex, installed on surface ships. Subsequently, US intelligence suspected, probably not without reason, that the Iskander-K operational-tactical systems were also equipped with Calibers.

So we can assume that the Zircons in the ship version will also end up being deployed on submarines. Here we can recall that last year Forbes believed that the first launch of a hypersonic missile of this type was planned to be carried out from the new nuclear-powered multi-purpose submarine K-561 Kazan (it has not yet entered service with the Russian Navy). A video report from such launches was not demonstrated, although they were probably carried out.

But the Russian Ministry of Defense said that Project 949A Antey nuclear submarines (according to NATO codification - Oscar-II) will be equipped with Zircon missiles. Representatives of this project include the nuclear submarines Smolensk, Tver, Orel, Omsk, Tomsk, and Belgorod, which is currently undergoing factory tests and is expected to join the Northern Fleet in 2022. Zircons will also be used to arm Project 885 Yasen and Yasen-M nuclear submarines. Of those in the fleet, this is Severodvinsk, Kazan and Novosibirsk are close, 6 more boats are being built and will enter service with the Navy from 2022 to 2028.

There are more unknowns with the range of the Zircons. The performance characteristics of the Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile are very approximate, and if the declared speed of Mach 8 has already been proven (this was also recorded by the Americans), then the distance that the 3M22 missile can fly varies, according to various sources, from 400-600 kilometers to more than 1000 km. The first stage has been completed - 450 km are overcome easily, and even with an accurate hit of a warhead weighing 300-400 kilograms exactly on a moving sea target. But Putin was promised “a thousand,” but as of today there is none.

“There is no particular reason for panic and assertions that this missile does not fly,” says Lieutenant General Alexander Gorkov , former chairman of the military-technical commission of air defense weapons. — Before entering service, any missile product undergoes a certain test cycle according to the principle “from simple to complex,” that is, from shorter to longer range. And, say, when testing missiles of the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system, they began working on targets at the Kapustin Yar training ground in 2007 from an altitude of 16 kilometers. As a result, we reached the border of the cover zone at a range of 400 kilometers.

In the case of the Zircon, you can notice that this missile was launched first from an aviation, coastal, then sea platform, and then at a Navy training ground in the Barents Sea, from aboard a warship. There are no strict standards here; the number of launches is not regulated. If hidden problems are identified, they can be increased; if the number of defects is insignificant, then, accordingly, they can be reduced. However, recently the Russian Ministry of Defense has been putting forward quite stringent requirements for developments and is seeking to eliminate the shortcomings identified during testing. These may include an increase in flight range.

It is known that by the end of 2022 at least two more test launches of Zircon hypersonic missiles will take place, during which the main goal should be achieved - increasing the flight range. It is this indicator that will allow it to be adopted and from 2023 the Russian Navy will receive this “Putin’s hypersound” en masse.

"Terror Flying in a Cloud of Plasma"

In 2015, Russia was the first to test long-range Kalibr cruise missiles in combat. This happened on October 7; "Calibers" were launched from small ships of the Caspian flotilla. the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (whose activities are prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation - Trud.ru

) in Syria.

Having traveled more than one and a half thousand kilometers over the territories of Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan, copying the terrain and flying around Turkish airspace, the Calibers destroyed the headquarters and warehouses of the jihadists. Later it became known that missiles of this class can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads.

Ten days later, the Rostov-on-Don submarine fired back with the same missiles.

The accuracy, massiveness and suddenness of the Caliber strike amazed Western experts and the media. Even the intelligence services of Western countries were forced to admit that they underestimated the capabilities of Russian know-how. A few months later, the US Office of Naval Intelligence published a report on the possible direction of development of the Russian Navy. In their opinion, in the near future the Russian military will deploy “Caliber” missiles on many small maneuverable ships, which will make it extremely difficult to destroy the Navy’s missile lance.

The new Zircon missiles belong to a fundamentally different class. Unlike the subsonic “Calibers” that “sneak” in the folds of the terrain, the “Zircon” must break through to the target at a speed 5-6 times faster than the speed of sound. Air resistance at such speeds becomes similar to the resistance of solid bodies. The head of the rocket becomes hot, and a cloud of plasma forms around it. Missiles moving at such speeds are almost impossible to intercept: control systems have too little time to make decisions, and interceptor missiles are not able to catch up with the Zircon and can only be used on a collision course. The plasma vortex, among other things, absorbs radio waves, and as a result, a rocket that reaches hypersound is, as it were, covered with an invisibility cloak: radars stop seeing it.

“When we have a fifth-generation boat on which the Zircon will be installed, then we can say that we have achieved significant superiority over the United States,” military expert Dmitry Litovkin told reporters. – The USA is also working on hypersound. We are following parallel courses. But if testing of Zircon began today, we can say that we have surpassed them technologically.”

For what purpose was the Zircon rocket (Russia) created?

The characteristics obtained after state tests give reason to believe that these supersonic objects can easily overcome enemy anti-tank defenses. This became possible due to two features inherent in the ZK-22:

• The speed of the warhead at an altitude of 100 km is Mach 15, i.e. 7 km/sec.
• Being in a dense atmospheric layer, already before approaching its target, the warhead performs complex maneuvers, which complicates the work of the enemy’s missile defense system.

Many military experts, both Russian and foreign, believe that achieving military-strategic parity directly depends on the availability of hypersonic missiles.

A Closer Look at the Koala: Russia's Kh-90 Hypersonic Missile

The history of the creation of the X-90 goes back to 1971. The case concerned a middle-class strategic carrier, applicable at low altitudes. However, the leadership of the USSR reacted very coolly to the initiative of the designers of NPO Raduga, and until 1976 they did not remember the project. In the 80s, prototypes were already accelerating to Mach 4: at the same time, the idea of ​​​​a “bifurcated” warhead was brought to life (each charge could be aimed at a separate target, provided that the distance to it from the “disintegration” point did not exceed 100 km). In 1992, for obvious reasons, all developments were mothballed. Five years later, the Russian hypersonic missile with the index “X-90” was transformed into an “experimental aircraft operating at super speeds.” NATO immediately dubbed the project AS-19 Koala.

It is worth noting that Moscow officially insists that the Koala and X-90 assemblies of the 70s have nothing in common, although experts say the opposite. The speed of the hypersonic missile of the 1997 model declared by the designers is Mach 5, the range of action is 3500 km. After disconnecting from the TU-160M ​​(at an altitude of 7-20 km), the unit of stabilizers and control surfaces is activated. This is followed by the launch of a solid fuel accelerator, which takes the combat unit to the supersonic line, and only then the main engine is turned on. Modern “Topols” and “Stilettos” are a new step in the evolution of the X-90. Large-scale military exercises in 2004 confirmed that 5000 m/s is far from the limit for a hypersonic warhead.

Plans of the Supreme Naval Command regarding the combat capabilities of the new missile

The rocket was first launched at the flight test site in Aktobe in 2012. The launch was carried out from the strategic missile carrier Tu-22M3. Further launches were carried out from ground-based launchers. The complex of main tests is already coming to an end. There are still shortcomings in the operation of the propulsion system and guidance system, but this, according to the creators of the rocket, can be eliminated in the near future. Preparations are underway for the launch of new weapons into series.

The highest naval command believes that one TARKR "Peter the Great", armed with hypersonic anti-ship missiles "Zircon", will be able to single-handedly withstand an entire combat force of ships of a potential enemy. In coastal maritime theaters, Russian small and medium-class warships equipped with the latest missiles will be able to control the entire water area. In terms of range and speed, the Russian missile has no analogues either in the Turkish Navy or in the fleets of the Baltic countries.

The situation is similar with the re-equipment of ships of the Pacific Fleet. The new weapons will significantly enhance the operational and tactical capabilities of Pacific Fleet ships in the Pacific Ocean. This, in some way, will create a reliable springboard for strengthening the defense capability of the Far Eastern borders against a real threat.

What is the rocket for, what is the likely target?

Russian warships and submarines will be armed primarily with Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. How does Zircon differ from the already more or less well-known AGBO product - aeroballistic hypersonic combat equipment (aka product 4202)?

Firstly,

Unlike hypersonic combat equipment, the Zircon performs its entire flight in the atmosphere, significantly below the boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and space.

Secondly,

If product 4202 is a strategic system for hitting targets at a distance of thousands of kilometers, then 3M22 is developing a line of heavy anti-ship missiles “Basalt” - “Granit” - “Oniks” , destroying surface and ground targets at a range of 300-400 km.

The scope of application imposes strict restrictions on Zircon on the strength of the structure, units and other performance characteristics. At hypersonic speeds, the rocket is exposed to high-temperature flow. It causes the structure to heat up to several thousand degrees (and the lower the flight altitude, the greater the load).

“One of the carriers of the Zircon missile should be the fifth-generation submarine Husky, developed by the Malachite Marine Engineering Bureau.”

At the same time, the Zircon must not only fly to a certain area, but, having detected the target, overcome the enemy’s air defense. Against the background of electronic interference, the missile must identify the desired object and be guaranteed to hit it. Hence the extremely high requirements for the missile control and guidance system. Taking into account the speed of the Zircon rocket, its RLGSN must operate under maximum load conditions.

The rocket's navigation system, which controls the flight during the cruising phase, is distinguished by accuracy and speed. At the final part of the trajectory, the target is identified by a radar homing head, the operation of which will be interfered with by false targets and electronic interference.

For a potential enemy, “Zircon” is a target that cannot be dealt with not only by the air defense systems in service with the potential enemy, but also by promising ones, work on which is just underway.