Zircon is a Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile. Technical characteristics of the rocket "Zircon. Hypersonic projects of the USA and other countries

Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Alexei Krivoruchko told reporters that the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missiles will be in service with the large anti-submarine ship (BPK) of project 1155 Marshal Shaposhnikov and the multi-purpose nuclear submarine (NPS) of project 949A Irkutsk.

"Zircon" will definitely be "

Recall, on October 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin that Zircons will also receive the head corvette of project 20385 Thundering, which is now undergoing factory tests. It is assumed that he will become the first carrier of hypersonic missiles in the Navy.

There will definitely be a Zircon,” the head of state said during a visit to the corvette and the Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad). Hypersonic missiles on the Gremyashchy can be placed in the universal ship firing system (UKKS). Now it provides the launch of missiles of the 3M-14 Caliber family and.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin during the inspection of the corvette "Thundering"
• RIA News
• Mikhail Klimentiev

UKKS is container-cells placed under the deck of the ship. The complex was developed at JSC "Design Bureau of Special Machine Building" (KBSM, St. Petersburg), which is part of the Almaz-Antey concern.

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The weight and size characteristics of the UKKS allow it to be installed on offshore platforms of various displacements - small missile ships (RTOs), corvettes, frigates, BODs, etc. In November 2017, the Izvestia newspaper, citing the High Command of the Russian Navy, announced the modernization of the UKKS. The updated complex (UKKS-M) will be able to use Zircons and anti-aircraft missiles.

In an interview with RT, the founder of the Military Russia portal, Dmitry Kornev, explained that anti-aircraft missiles through UKKS-M will be launched on ships where the air defense system is installed. The capabilities of the system make it possible to intercept targets at a distance of up to 150 km, and in the future - up to 400 km.

The expert predicts that Poliment-Redut will be installed on project 22350 frigates under construction (Admiral of the Fleet Kasatonov, Admiral Golovko, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Isakov, Admiral Amelko, Admiral Chichagov) and project 20380 corvettes /20385 ("Zealous", "Strict", "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov", "Sharp", "Nimble").

“In addition, the Polyment-Redut, and with it the Zircons, will most likely receive Navy attack ships that will undergo major repairs or upgrades. The possibility of launching anti-aircraft and cruise missiles from one firing system is a logical and very necessary solution, to which our country has been moving since late Soviet times, ”Kornev noted.

As the interlocutor of RT explained, the use of UKKS makes it possible to rationalize the use of the internal space of the vessel. In addition, unification removes the need to allocate budgetary funds for the development, production and operation of various launchers.

“In the foreseeable future, most of the attack ships of the Navy, with the exception of RTOs, will be equipped with a firing system that allows the use of Caliber, Onyx, anti-aircraft missiles and Zircons,” says Kornev.

At the final stage

Experts interviewed by RT believe that information about the upcoming appearance of Zircon in the arsenal of Navy ships indicates that tests of this unique product are at the final stage. However, the specific timing of the completion of the development of a hypersonic missile has not yet been reported.

During a press conference at MAKS-2019, Boris Obnosov, General Director of Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) JSC, noted that the ammunition would be created within the period set by the customer.

• Rocket launch from the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov"
• Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

On February 20, speaking with a message to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin, that work on Zircon is progressing successfully and will be completed as scheduled. As the President promised, the activities related to putting the missile into service will not be costly.

On August 5, the Kremlin website published a statement by Vladimir Putin in connection with the unilateral US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). In it, the Russian leader said that Zircon, along with other types of weapons, would allow Moscow to reliably fend off threats.

The lead developer of the marine hypersonic missile is NPO Mashinostroeniya. "Zircon" is capable of speeds of about 9 Machs (more than 9 thousand km / h). The range of destruction of sea and land targets exceeds 1 thousand km. Other characteristics of the ammunition are not officially disclosed.

In December last year, the American television channel CNBC, citing a US intelligence report, reported that since 2015, Russia allegedly conducted five Zircon tests.

“It is highly likely that the means capable of bringing down the Zircon will not appear for a very long time. To do this, the air defense-missile defense system must have much greater computing capabilities than it does now. A lot of work is needed without a guaranteed positive result, and the Americans are well aware of this, ”Vadim Kozyulin, professor of the Academy of Military Sciences, senior researcher at the Center for Political Studies of Russia, said in an interview with RT.

He predicts that the scope of "Zircon" will be extremely wide. Hypersonic missiles will be included in the arsenal of Project 949A and Project 885M Yasen-M nuclear multi-purpose nuclear submarines, as well as Project 1144 Orlan nuclear cruisers and promising Leader destroyers.

"Zircon" is an effective deterrent, first of all, the United States, which has the largest fleet in the world. The missile will be capable of hitting aircraft carrier groups, large surface ships and ground targets. This is its main purpose. Even small ships of the Navy will receive very serious combat capabilities, ”the analyst emphasized.

In addition, according to Kozyulin, a ground-based version of Zircon will most likely be created in Russia due to the collapse of the INF Treaty and the US unwillingness to sit down at the negotiating table. According to the expert's forecast, the modification of a hypersonic missile will not require significant funds.

TASS, citing a source in the military-industrial complex, during the tests, the rocket was able to develop a cruising speed of eight Mach numbers (9.9 thousand kilometers per hour). This is two Mach numbers more than previously stated.

Collage by Andrey Sedykh

The Zircon is believed to be a two-stage rocket that uses a solid propellant rocket motor to gain speed. After turning off the solid fuel installation, the ramjet engine is turned on. According to unconfirmed reports, the range of the missile is from 400 to a thousand kilometers.

Hypersonic missiles "Zirkon" 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 heavy nuclear missile cruisers "Peter the Great" and "Admiral Nakhimov" of project 1144 "Orlan".

In April last year, it was reported that state tests of the new missile were planned to be completed in 2017. Serial production of Zircon should begin next year.

Vasily Sychev

The United States lost the ocean theater 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 offensive weapons will radically exceed the capabilities of defense.

The 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 in a fire order. We did not pay enough attention to this event. Meanwhile, the introduction of this missile into the armament will be a revolution in military shipbuilding, will significantly change the balance of forces in the sea and ocean theater of operations, and will immediately bring out-of-date models that are still considered quite modern.

NPO Mashinostroeniya has been developing a unique development since at least 2011 (“Zircon”, five Machs from the target). In open sources, for such a promising and, accordingly, closed project, the scientific and production cooperation of enterprises and NRUs involved in its creation is quite fully presented. But the performance characteristics of the missiles are shown very sparingly. In fact, only two are known: the speed, which is estimated with a good accuracy of 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 are also available, based on which you can approximately estimate the rest of the characteristics.

On warships, Zircon will be used from the 3S-14 universal vertical launcher, unified for Caliber and Onyx. The rocket must be two-stage. The starting stage is a solid propellant engine. As a marching engine, only a ramjet (ramjet engine) can be used. The main carriers of Zircons are heavy nuclear missile cruisers (TARKR) of projects 11442 and 11442M, as well as a promising nuclear submarine with cruise missiles (SSGN) of the 5th generation Husky. According to unconfirmed reports, the creation of an export version is being considered - BrahMos-II, 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-based missile took place. It is assumed that they will be put into service with the start of delivery to the ships of the Russian Navy before the end of the decade.

What can be gleaned from this data? From the assumption of placement in a unified launcher for Caliber and Onyx, we conclude about the dimensions and, in particular, that the energy of the Zircon GOS cannot significantly exceed the similar indicators of the two mentioned missiles, that is, it is 50-80 kilometers depending on the effective dispersion area (ESR) 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 trajectory of a hypersonic missile flight 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 long range of hypersonic flight and significantly reduces the effectiveness of the most modern air defense systems. In the final section, the missile is likely to perform anti-aircraft maneuvering, in particular with a descent to extremely low altitudes.

The control system of the missile and its seeker will probably contain algorithms that 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 RCS 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"

These data are sufficient to assess the capabilities of the most modern and powerful air defense system of the American Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Orly Burke-class URO destroyers based on the Aegis CICS 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 accompaniment by the firing radar of the carrier ship. This significantly increases the efficiency of its use against low-flying targets, in particular, beyond the horizon, and allows you to work according to external target designation data, for example, an AWACS aircraft. With a starting weight of 1,500 kilograms, the Standard-6 hits 240 kilometers, the maximum height for hitting air targets is 33 kilometers. The rocket's flight speed is Mach 3.5, approximately 1000 meters per second. The maximum overload during maneuvering is about 50 units. Warhead kinetic (for ballistic targets) 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 range conditions is defined as 0.95.

A comparison of the performance characteristics of "Zircon" and "Standard-6" shows that our missile hits the border of the American missile defense zone in height and almost doubles the maximum speed of aerodynamic targets allowed for it - 1500 versus 800 meters per second. Conclusion: the American Standard-6 cannot hit our "swallow". However, this does not mean that they will not shoot at hypersonic Zircons. The Aegis system is able to detect such a high-speed target and issue target designation for firing - it provides for the possibility of solving missile defense tasks and even combating satellites, the speed of which is much higher than that of the Zircon anti-ship missiles. So there will be shooting. It remains to assess the probability of our missile being hit by an American missile.

It should be noted that the probabilities of damage given in the performance characteristics of missiles are usually given for range conditions. That is, when the target does not maneuver and moves at a speed that is optimal in order to hit it. In real combat operations, the probability of defeat, as a rule, is significantly lower. This is due to the peculiarities of the missile guidance process, which determine the indicated 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 the Standard-6 missile defense system against a maneuvering aerodynamic target will be affected 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 movement of the target according to target designation radar and BIUS.

All these factors determine the main thing - whether the SAM will be able to "choose", taking into account the maneuvering of the target, the amount of miss to the level at which the warhead is capable of hitting it.

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 rocket, it can be assumed that it will be able to see a fighter with an EPR of about five square meters within 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. Shooting when repelling attacking anti-ship missiles will, of course, be carried out on a collision course. That is, the speed of approach of the missiles will be about 2300-2500 meters per second. The SAM has less than one second left to perform the approach maneuver from the moment the target is detected. The chances of reducing the magnitude of the miss are negligible. Especially when it comes to interception at extreme altitudes - about 30 kilometers, where the rarefied atmosphere significantly reduces the ability to maneuver missiles. In fact, the Standard-6 missile defense system, in order to successfully defeat such a target as the Zircon, must be launched to it with an error not exceeding the kill zone of its warhead - 8-10 meters.

We sink aircraft carriers

Calculations made taking into account these factors show that the probability of hitting a Zircon missile by one Standard-6 missile is unlikely to exceed 0.02-0.03 under the most favorable conditions and target designation directly from the missile launcher. When firing according to external target designation data, for example, an AWACS aircraft or another ship, taking into account errors in determining the relative position, as well as the delay time for information exchange, the error in the output of missiles to the target will be greater, and the probability of hitting it is less, and very 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 opportunities to defeat the "Zircon".

Collage by Andrey Sedykh

It may be objected to me that 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 a long observation, which made it possible to bring the missile defense missile to the target without a miss. The defending side will not have such opportunities when repelling the Zircon attack, moreover, the anti-ship missiles will begin to maneuver.

Let us evaluate the possibility of destroying our anti-ship missiles with air defense systems of a Ticonderoga-class cruiser or an Orly Burke-class URO destroyer. First of all, it should be noted that the detection range of the Zircon by the radar for surveying the airspace of these ships can be estimated within 90-120 kilometers. That is, the time for the anti-ship missiles to approach the boundary of the task from the moment it appears on the enemy locator will not exceed 1.5 minutes. The closed air defense system of the Aegis system has 30-35 seconds for everything. With two Mk41 air defense systems, it is realistic to launch no more than four missiles, which, taking into account the remaining time, can potentially, taking into account the remaining time, get close to the attacking target and hit 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. The possibilities of ZAK self-defense of the ship - "Volcano-Phalanx" in this case are negligible.

Accordingly, two such ships, even with the 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, the KUG of two URO cruisers or destroyers have little chance of destroying even a single Zircon missile.

Remaining means of electronic warfare. These are active distracting and passive interference. For their setting, the time from the moment the anti-ship missiles were detected or the operation of their GOS is enough. The complex use of interference can disrupt the missile's guidance to the 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 of capturing the RCC seeker of another target in the warrant. Just as in the fighting near the Falklands, the English aircraft carrier was able, by putting passive interference, to divert the Exocet anti-ship missiles coming towards it. Her 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 ship of the warrant that captures the GOS anti-ship missiles simply does not have enough time to effectively use electronic warfare.

From these estimates, it follows that a volley of even two Zircon missiles at a KUG consisting of two Ticonderoga-class cruisers or Orly Burke-class destroyers with a probability of 0.7-0.8 will lead to the incapacitation or sinking of at least one from the KUG ships. A four-missile salvo is almost guaranteed to destroy both ships. Since the firing range of the Zircon is almost twice that of the Tomahawk anti-ship missiles (about 500 km), there is no chance for the American KUG to win a battle with our cruiser equipped with the Zircon anti-ship missiles. Even with the superiority of the Americans in intelligence and surveillance systems.

Slightly better for the American fleet is the situation when the KUG of the Russian Federation, led by a cruiser equipped with the Zircon anti-ship missile, is confronted by an aircraft carrier strike group (AUG). The combat radius of carrier-based 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 deliver a preemptive strike against our naval formation with large forces capable of penetrating air defense. Attacks by small groups of carrier-based aircraft - in pairs and units capable of operating at a distance of up to 2000 kilometers with in-flight refueling, against our KUG with modern multi-channel air defense systems will be ineffective.

The exit 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 incapacitating or sinking an aircraft carrier will be 0.8-0.85 with the destruction of two or three escort ships. That is, the AUG will be guaranteed to be defeated with such a volley. According to open data, on the cruisers of project 1144, after modernization, UVP 3S-14 for 80 cells should be placed. With such ammunition for the Zircon anti-ship missiles, our cruiser can destroy up to three US AUGs.

However, no one will interfere in the future to place the Zircon anti-ship missiles both on frigates and on small missile ships, which, as you know, have 16 and 8 cells for the Caliber and Onyx missiles, respectively. This will dramatically increase their combat capabilities and make them a serious adversary even for aircraft carrier groups.

It should be noted that in the United States, hypersonic AOS are also being intensively developed. But the Americans directed their main efforts to the creation of strategic hypersonic missiles. Data on the development in the United States of anti-ship hypersonic missiles like the Zircon is not yet available, at least in the public domain. Therefore, it can be assumed that the superiority of the Russian Federation 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 saturate the fleet with a sufficient number of these anti-ship missiles in a short time? With the miserable state of the economy and the sequestration of the state defense order, it is unlikely.

The appearance 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. In order to adequately increase the potential of ship air defense systems, it is likely that a revision of the conceptual foundations for building such systems is necessary. This will take time - at least 10-15 years.

There is a slight panic in the Pentagon. Russian military and engineers have successfully tested a new Zircon anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile. What is a hypersonic missile? We all know what a supersonic aircraft is. Such an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound. Faster than about 1200 kilometers per hour. A hypersonic missile flies five, eight, fifteen times faster than the speed of sound. Imagine that you need to hit an enemy ship hundreds of kilometers away. Such a missile will overcome the distance from the start to the target in a few minutes. And no means of defense simply have time to do anything.

Movement at such speeds is fundamentally different from movement at subsonic speeds - these are ordinary aircraft on which we fly, and even supersonic ones. There are many complex scientific problems to be solved. And our scientists solve them. We fundamentally overtook the Americans in this race. And the hypersonic race is the most advanced edge in the development of new weapons. By the way, the third participant is China. And he also has success. China has long been a manufacturer of cheap fakes.

In the future - the development of orbital hypersonic aircraft and orbital platforms. The American missile defense system, which they have been developing for decades, will not be able to withstand this weapon. The challenges facing the Russian military-industrial complex were discussed this week at meetings with President Putin.

In recent years, the Russian army has been increasingly upsetting its, as they say, probable enemy. Either suddenly Russia will have Caliber cruise missiles in service, capable of hitting targets in the Middle East even from the Caspian Sea, or it will turn out that NATO tanks have become outdated in an instant and for a long time, as soon as the technical characteristics of our new Armata tank became known. Or our powerful military group with the latest weapons will appear in the Arctic. And so on. In a word, the Western military attaches at the recent parade in Moscow had plenty of reasons to think. The program of rearmament of our army and navy, calculated until 2020, is bearing fruit.

"The planned activities will not only equip the army and navy with modern weapons and equipment, they will provide an opportunity to form a scientific and technical reserve for the development of fundamentally new types of weapons," the Russian president noted.

Vladimir Putin spoke about this in Sochi at a meeting on defense. Meanwhile, new equipment continued to enter the troops. Take at least aviation. This year alone, the Russian Aerospace Forces and fleet will receive about 160 new helicopters and aircraft, including the modernized Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter. He successfully combines the capabilities of a fighter, attack aircraft and bomber, can control the actions of aviation and work over the sea, lead 16 targets and attack four of them simultaneously. Its maneuverability is legendary. That's what those who, by profession, must squeeze everything out of this aircraft that it is capable of, say about the car.

“The first time I saw how the Su-30SM maneuvers in the air, my first thought was immediately: the plane cannot fly like that in principle. But again, the experience of operating the machine shows that it can. Despite the fact that it is heavier than the Su-27, it is much easier to control, ”says Vladimir Kochetov, flight commander of the Russian Knights aerobatics group.

Meanwhile, completely new Su-35 air vehicles and a fundamentally new fifth-generation multirole fighter T-50 are on the way. In the nine years since the start of the army and navy rearmament program, Russia has already acquired fundamentally new Armed Forces. For comparison, the data is only for two years, from 2015 to 2017. During this time, the share of new equipment in the Ground Forces has grown from 32% to 42%, the Airborne Forces - from 40% to 58%. In HQS - from 33% to 68%. In the navy from 50% to 55% of new equipment. In the Strategic Missile Forces - from 50% to 72%.

“It should be kept in mind that there is much more to be done. I mean the development of the domestic electronic component base, first of all, the implementation of contracts for the full life cycle of military products, as well as the synchronization of the preparation of the necessary infrastructure with the supply of new weapons,” Vladimir Putin said.

Russian military designers recently shocked the Western military by announcing the successful test of the Zirkon anti-ship cruise missile. This is a secret project, so its image and technical data are based only on the assumptions of experts.

During testing, this hypersonic missile broke all speed records of its kind - it reached eight speeds of sound, or, more simply, flew faster than 2.5 kilometers per second. It's faster than a bullet. If it reaches an estimated range of 1,000 kilometers, it will call into question the entire American doctrine of global transmission of power through carrier strike groups. The range of US carrier-based aircraft is about 800 kilometers.

“To put it simply, with the advent of Zircon hypersonic missiles on our cruisers, frigates and even corvettes, it turns out that even a corvette with an eight-missile salvo is capable of inflicting serious damage on an American aircraft carrier formation. And the frigate, even in a single form, if it came up, in a single quantity. If it comes within range of a Zircon volley, then it is capable of destroying an aircraft carrier multipurpose group of the United States of America,” explains Konstantin Sivkov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, Doctor of Military Sciences.

The American edition of the National Interest admitted that today no fleet has any means of protection against the Zircon.

Such weapons, combined with high-ocean target detection, could turn aircraft carriers into billion-dollar graves for thousands of American sailors.

The upper stage puts the Zircon into the desired orbit, after which it accelerates to its maximum speed and moves towards the target at an altitude of 30-40 kilometers, where the air density is minimal. Radars at such a speed simply do not see it, anti-aircraft missile systems are useless. But, according to experts, the overload is gigantic, the rocket moves in a cloud of plasma. We need super-strong materials, electronics resistant to overloads.

“Russia, including relying on the scientific and technical reserve that was created in the Soviet era, has already solved these problems in principle. This is the level of science, technology, materials science, and control systems that no one else in the world has reached yet, do you understand?” - says the editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, military expert, reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky.

Several countries are engaged in similar developments, but, according to experts, even American designers will need a dozen years to even come close to the characteristics of Zircon. There is no protection from him, not only because of the enormous speed, but also because in flight he maneuvers along an arbitrary trajectory, and when he hits, he destroys the target almost guaranteed. Here is what experts in the British Daily Mail say about this: “There is so little time to react that even if detected, existing protective measures may be completely useless. Even if the missile is smashed or blown up by close weapons, the fragments will have so much kinetic energy that the ship will still be badly damaged.”

A whole meeting, which took place in Sochi on Friday, May 19, was devoted to breakthrough technologies and promising developments in the field of defense.

“I emphasize that the intellectual potential of the entire scientific community should be fully involved in ensuring the defense capability of the state. I mean, first of all, scientists, designers, engineers working on the creation of the latest complexes and systems. Those who will provide the Armed Forces with the opportunity to adequately respond to existing and possible future challenges and risks to Russia's military security,” the President said in his speech.

Naturally, the breakthrough in the field of hypersonic weapons has also affected the prospects for our nuclear missile forces. A few months ago, Russia successfully tested a strategic missile codenamed Yu-71. According to experts, this secret weapon is based on the same principles as the Zircon missile - it moves at hypersonic speed, and the detached warhead constantly maneuvers. With only one difference - the Yu-71 product started from the Dombrovsky training ground near Orenburg and hit the target at the Kura training ground six thousand kilometers away. Experts believe that the rocket covered this distance in just 20 minutes. It is assumed that in the future such developments will replace the current Russian strategic nuclear missiles. In a word, the West's long-standing dream of speaking with Russia "from a position of strength" is still not coming true and is not coming true. And although no one has refused such fantasies, today Russia clearly demonstrates that it is not even worth trying.

In recent years, the United States has been intensively developing its national missile defense system. The desire of the US government to locate some elements of its missile defense system in Eastern Europe caused the start of a nuclear-missile arms race between America and Russia. The relevance 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.

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 have such a speed that the enemy may have difficulty not only in terms of intercepting them, but when trying to detect them. According to military experts, the Tsirkon cruise missile is a very effective means of deterring any aggression today. The characteristics of the product allow us to consider this weapon as a modern hypersonic sword of the Russian air fleet. Statements in the media For the first time, statements about the start of development of a complex with a sea-based hypersonic cruise missile "Zirkon" appeared in the media in February 2011. The weapon has become the latest comprehensive development of Russian designers. The abbreviation 3K-22 became the presumed designation of the Zircon missile system. In August 2011, the general director of the Tactical Missiles Concern, Boris Obnosov, announced that the corporation had begun developing a missile that would reach speeds of up to Mach 13, exceeding the speed of sound by 12-13 times. (For comparison: today the speed of attack missiles of the Russian Navy is up to Mach 2.5). In 2012, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the first test of the created hypersonic missile was expected in the near future.

Open sources reported that the development of the ship complex with the Zircon hypersonic missile was entrusted to NPO Mashinostroeniya. It is known that information about the technical characteristics of the installation is classified, alleged data were reported: range - 300-400 km, speed - 5-6 Mach. There are unconfirmed reports that the missile is a hypersonic variant of the BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile that was developed jointly by Russian designers with Indian specialists on the basis of the Oniks P-800 missile. In 2016 (February), BrahMos Aerospace announced that a hypersonic engine for its brainchild could be developed within 3-4 years.

In March 2016, the media announced the start of tests of the Zircon hypersonic missile, which were carried out from the ground launch complex. In the future, it was planned to install "Zircon" on the latest Russian submarines "Husky". At present, these multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the 5th generation are being developed by the Malachite design bureau. At the same time, information was published in the media that the state flight design tests of the rocket were in full swing. Upon their completion, a decision is expected to be made on the acceptance of the Zircon into service with the Russian Navy. In April 2016, information was published that the tests of the Zircon missile would be completed by 2017, and in 2018 it is planned to launch the installation into mass production. Development and testing In 2011, the Tactical Missiles concern began designing Zirkon hypersonic anti-ship missiles. The characteristics of the new weapons, according to experts, have much in common with the already existing Bolid complex. In 2012 and 2013, a new missile was tested at the Akhtubinsk test site. The plane "TU-22M3" was used as a carrier. The results of the tests were conclusions about the cause of the unsuccessful launch and short-term flight of the warhead. Subsequent testing was carried out in 2015 using the ground launch complex as a carrier. Now the Zircon rocket was launched from an emergency launch. The characteristics of 2016 during testing gave a positive result, which prompted the developers to announce in the media the creation of a new hypersonic missile weapon.

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), the Leader cruisers and the modernized nuclear cruisers Orlan and Peter the Great. The heavy nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov will also be equipped with the Zirkon 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 the ZK-22. The Tsirkon missile will be used by exceptionally promising and modernized submarines and surface vessels.

Specifications The range of the missile is 1500 km. The installation has a speed of about 6 Mach. (Mach 1 equals 331 meters per second). Warhead ZK-22 weighs at least 200 kg. 500 km - the radius of destruction, which has a hypersonic missile "Zircon".

The characteristics of the weapon give grounds to judge the superiority of the army owning it over the enemy, who does not have such weapons. Engine and fuel An object with a speed of 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, the most relevant questions are how to accelerate a rocket using a traditional jet engine and what kind of fuel to use? Russian scientists-developers made a decision: to accelerate the ZK-22, use a special rocket-ramjet engine, which is characterized by supersonic combustion. These engines operate on the new fuel "Decilin - M", which is characterized by increased energy consumption (20%). Fields of science involved in the development High temperature is a common medium in which the Zircon rocket performs its maneuvering flight after acceleration. The characteristics of the homing system at supersonic speed during the flight can be significantly distorted. The reason for this is the formation of a plasma cloud, which can close 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. Serial production of the ZK-22 involves such sciences as materials science, engine building, electronics, aerodynamics and others. 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 the enemy's 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 makes it difficult for the enemy's missile defense system to work. Many military experts, both Russian and foreign, believe that the achievement of military-strategic parity directly depends on the availability of hypersonic missiles. On the prospects The media is actively circulating information about the United States lagging behind Russia in terms of the development of hypersonic missiles. In their statements, journalists refer to data from American military research. The appearance in the arsenal of the Russian army is even more modern than the Zircon missile, hypersonic weapons are expected by 2020. For the US missile defense system, which is considered one of the most advanced systems in the world, the emergence of extreme high-speed nuclear weapons in the Russian Air Force will be, in the opinion of journalists, a real challenge. An undeclared high-tech arms race continues in the world. Hypersonic weapons are among the latest technologies that in the 21st century will play a decisive role in the outcome of the war. It is no coincidence that in the 2000s, US President George W. Bush signed a directive making the possibility of delivering a rapid global strike with the help of hypersonic high-precision cruise missiles a reality. It is easy to guess who it was intended for. This is probably why, in October 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the use of X-101 in the war in Syria - the latest cruise missiles, the range of which is about 4500 km.