Anti-ship hypersonic missile Zircon. “Effective deterrent weapon”: how the Zircon hypersonic missile will strengthen the capabilities of the Russian Navy. Main technical subtleties and nuances in creating a new generation missile

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 is actively involved in this process. 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 there are much smaller ones, but at the same time they are capable, for example, of flying most of the distance at a very low altitude, remaining invisible to enemy radars, and then right in front of the target, sharply fly up 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. As a matter of fact, if we describe this project briefly, it is a hypersonic anti-ship missile operational purpose. 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, 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 invented. 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 Mashinostroyenia, as well as at its structural divisions, including at 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 government of the country 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, which will be discussed 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 using 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 moments, naturally, are 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 RCC created on the territory Russian Federation, there 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 unsuccessful, the flight was too short. Reasons to believe that this missile was precisely 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 ongoing 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 they will be armed with the cruiser 11442M, which this moment undergoing modernization to be able to carry these missiles.

However, there are also more long 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.

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

"Zircon" will definitely be there"

Let us remind you that on October 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin that the lead corvette of Project 20385 “Gremyashchiy”, which is now undergoing factory tests, will also receive the Zircons. It is expected that it 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 a universal ship-based firing system (UKSK). Now it provides the launch of missiles of the 3M-14 "Caliber" and .

Russian President Vladimir Putin during an inspection of the Gremyashchiy corvette
RIA News
Mikhail Klimentyev

UKSK are container cells located under the deck of a ship. The complex was developed at OJSC Design Bureau of Special Mechanical Engineering (KBSM, St. Petersburg), part of the Almaz-Antey concern.

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The weight and size characteristics of the UKSK allow it to be installed on offshore platforms of various displacements - small rocket ships(MRK), corvettes, frigates, BOD, etc. In November 2017, the Izvestia newspaper, with reference to the Main Command of the Russian Navy, reported on the modernization of the UKSK. The updated complex (UKSK-M) will have the ability to use Zircons and anti-aircraft missiles.

In a conversation with RT, the founder of the Military Russia portal, Dmitry Kornev, explained that anti-aircraft missiles through UKSK-M will be launched on ships where an air defense system is installed. The system’s capabilities make it possible to intercept targets at a range 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 Kasatonov, Admiral Golovko, Admiral Fleet Soviet Union Isakov”, “Admiral Amelko”, “Admiral Chichagov”) and corvettes of project 20380/20385 (“Retivy”, “Strogiy”, “Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov”, “Rezkiy”, “Provorny”).

“In addition, the Poliment-Redut, and along with it the Zircons, will most likely receive Navy attack ships that will undergo major renovation or modernization. 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 RT’s interlocutor explained, the use of UKSK makes it possible to rationalize the use of the vessel’s internal space. In addition, unification removes the need to direct budget resources for the development, production and operation of various launchers.

“In the foreseeable future, most of the Navy’s attack ships, with the exception of small missiles, will be equipped with a firing system that will allow the use of Calibers, Onyxes, anti-aircraft missiles and Zircons,” says Kornev.

At the final stage

Experts interviewed by RT believe that information about the upcoming appearance of the Zircon in the arsenal of Navy ships indicates that testing of this unique product is at the final stage. However, specific dates for completing the development of the hypersonic missile have not yet been reported.

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

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

On February 20, delivering a message to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin said that work on Zircon was progressing successfully and would be completed on schedule. As the president promised, activities related to putting the missile into service will not be costly.

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

The lead developer of the naval hypersonic missile is NPO Mashinostroyenia. “Zircon” is capable of reaching speeds of about Mach 9 (more than 9 thousand km/h). The range of destruction of sea and ground targets exceeds 1 thousand km. Other characteristics of the ammunition are not officially disclosed.

Last December, the American television channel CNBC, citing a US intelligence report, reported that since 2015, Russia has allegedly conducted five tests of Zircon.

“There is a high probability that weapons capable of shooting down 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 currently has. A huge amount of work is needed without a guaranteed positive result, and the Americans understand this very well,” said Vadim Kozyulin, a professor at the Academy of Military Sciences and a senior researcher at the Center for Political Studies of Russia, in a conversation with RT.

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

“Zircon” is an effective deterrent weapon, primarily against 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 the Zircon will most likely be created in Russia due to the collapse of the INF Treaty and the reluctance of the United States to sit down at the negotiating table. According to the expert's forecast, modifying a hypersonic missile will not require significant funds.

American edition The National Interest admitted that no navy currently has any means of defense against Zircon. According to foreign analysts, the newest Russian missile is a deeply modernized version of the Soviet P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile. Let us recall that this was the name of the export version of the Yakhont missiles. It is on the basis of Onyx that the universal supersonic rocket BrahMos, the best in its class, was created in India. The Indians, by the way, announced that they were starting work on a hypersonic version of the BrahMos - the base model allows this.

Therefore, the version that Zircon was born on the structural basis of a similar rocket looks quite reliable. Taking into account the fact that missiles more powerful and accurate than the P-800 have not been created abroad, combat characteristics hypersonic version may seem prohibitive.

Let us recall that a hit from even one P-800 missile disables an aircraft carrier - if it does not sink, then it loses the ability to launch and receive aircraft. The mass of the warhead is about 300 kg. Moreover, its explosion occurs inside the ship, since the hull breaks through without problems due to its enormous speed. "Zircon", according to experts, has even better characteristics.

It was reported that a hypersonic missile, changing its trajectory, can maneuver not only in height, but also in the plane. This makes it even more difficult to detect and defeat. Considering that the Zircon most of the time flies at an altitude of 30-40 kilometers in a cloud of plasma, it is invisible to the most modern radars. And although combat unit less than the P-800, allegedly 200 kg, the destructive ability of the Zircon is much higher. Hypersonic speed allows a missile weighing several tons and without a warhead to simply destroy a medium-sized warship and penetrate an aircraft carrier. Detonation of a warhead greatly enhances the destructive effect kinetic energy rocket body.

For the first time about successful test The Zircon missile in an anti-ship version was officially announced in May 2017. Then, as it was reported, the rocket reached eight speeds of sound. If the expected flight range of 1000 kilometers is achieved, then the entire American doctrine of global transmission of its forces through carrier strike groups is called into question. The range of US carrier-based aircraft with in-flight refueling is about 800 kilometers. It turns out that the aircraft carrier strike group simply will not be able to approach the territory protected by the Zircons within its strike range.

Over the past two years, the developers of our hypersonic missile, quite obviously, have not been sitting idle, and work on the Zircon has progressed significantly. It is likely that not only its anti-ship variants have been developed and tested, but also those that allow attacks on land targets.

And this, according to The National Interest, makes it possible to inflict crushing and irresistible blows on NATO bases in Europe. Together with the MiG-31BM, armed with hypersonic Daggers, which are already in trial operation, this is a serious threat to those forces that may harbor aggressive plans against Russia.

Infographics "RG" / Anton Perepletchikov / Sergey Ptichkin

Western military specialists are in a panic: if these Russian “Zircons” really fly at the declared speed (8 times faster than sound!), then in the next 30, or even 50 years, no one will be able to come up with protection against them! It turns out that the most powerful naval power in the world - the United States - will have to give up a dozen of its vaunted aircraft carriers. And on all other surface ships, defenseless against the Zircon.

Military commentator Chris Pleasence argued in a recent Mail Online article that "a Russian hypersonic missile could destroy an aircraft carrier in one strike." And the editor of the American magazine National Interest, Harry Jay Kazyanis, has already paid a compliment to our Zircon. He is confident that such missiles can turn “America’s superships into multi-billion-dollar cemeteries for thousands of sailors.”

Meanwhile, the US Navy intends to commission the lead nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of a new type, the Gerald R. Ford, into service this year. The final rivets are being put on this supership at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia. It will replace its retiring sibling, Enterprise.

The Pentagon, which loves gigantomania, intends to build a dozen more of these huge vessels (the lead ship for the US budget became gold - as much as 15 billion dollars were paid for it). The news about the ultra-high-speed Russian Zircons has already caused some American experts draw a sad conclusion: already now a funeral mass can be celebrated for the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford - because of the Zircons.

It seems that both the United States and other NATO countries will be forced to radically reshape their naval doctrines and spend hundreds of billions of dollars to find an “antidote.” Until it is found, American admirals will have to reconsider plans for the construction of new aircraft carriers. Perhaps a course will be taken to hide the lion's part of the fleet under water - to rivet submarines invisible to the Zircon.

Unique Russian performance characteristics supermissiles also call into question the American missile defense system in Europe and Asia. For the same reason - there are no “electronic brains” in the world that could instantly detect the flight of a rocket flying at breakneck speed, take aim and hit it.

Yes, the sound of our rocket can be detected by modern means, but cannot be hit. The Zircon's flight speed is a world record for a weapon of this class. This significantly reduces the time it takes to overcome the affected areas of air defense or missile defense systems. And therefore makes any attempts to protect a ship or any land object from destruction pointless.

Let's say our Zircon installation is deployed near Kaliningrad. The American missile defense base in Poland (Redzikowo) is no more than 200 km away. It will take the Zircon less than one and a half minutes to hit this strategic US target! But no one in the world has a system capable of repelling a Russian missile. After all, even the newest anti-aircraft American rocket SM-3 Block II (part of the missile defense system) is capable of intercepting and destroying targets flying at a speed of no more than Mach 4.5. And the no less advertised British high-speed sea-based Sea Ceptor missile, which (theoretically) could compete with our Zircon, can shoot down missiles with speeds of up to 2,300 miles (or approximately 4,000 km per hour). And our rocket flies more than 9,600 km in an hour. And this is at a speed of Mach 8. And the designers promise that in the near future it will reach Mach 10, and even 12-13.

HELP "KP"

In February 2017, reports of tests on an offshore platform appeared.

In April 2017, a source in the Russian military-industrial complex reported a successful test of a missile that exceeded a speed of Mach 8.

Developer: NPO Mashinostroyenia

This missile is planned to replace the P-700 Granit missile.

"Zircon" can be launched from the same launchers as the latest Russian anti-ship missiles P-800 "Oniks" and "Caliber"

Approximate performance characteristics: Firing range - according to a number of sources, 350-500 km, but this may be misinformation from potential opponents

length: 8-10 m.

speed: 8 speeds of sound (Mach number = 8)

Possible media:

Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov"

Heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great"

nuclear destroyers of the Leader project

Project 885M nuclear submarines "Yasen-M"

fifth-generation nuclear submarines "Husky" modified to destroy aircraft carrier strike groups

The Zircons are expected to be put into service in 2018.

Jerry Hendricks, director of the defense strategy and assessment program at the Center for a New American Security, retired captain 1st rank: - The mind-boggling finances for the construction of ships like the CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford are being thrown away. The “golden age” of US Navy aircraft carriers ended at the moment when Russia and China managed to put coastal aircraft on combat duty. missile systems long range.

The high potential of Russian and Chinese anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and air defense forces in the event of war will force US Navy carrier strike groups to stay away from enemy coasts. Which will make carrier-based aircraft strikes ineffective.

FROM THE HISTORY OF THE QUESTION

How the “golden heads” of our military-industrial complex outwitted the laws of physics

“Zircon” was born in the throes of engineering and design.

In September 2016, the head of the Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation (KTRV) Boris Obnosov said that hypersonic weapons may appear in Russia only “at the beginning of the next decade. It is impossible to create hypersonic weapons from scratch, but technology has already reached the required level.”

The main problem, according to Obnosov, is that no one knew how speeds of Mach 8–10 would affect the rocket’s operation. “Under such conditions, plasma is formed at the surface of the rocket, temperature conditions over the top,” he said.

Experiments with a rocket flying even at a speed of Mach three caused the apparatus to heat up furiously. At such temperatures, titanium alloys lose their mechanical properties, aluminum and magnesium melt, and heat-resistant steel loses its properties. Our scientists and engineers have been battling the searing fury of atmospheric heating for many years. Beryllium alloys and new ablative materials, composites based on boron and carbon fibers, plasma spraying of refractory coatings were proposed... The problem was solved. And the method of solving it will remain a military secret for a long time.

By the way, the Pentagon generals argued that the flight of a rocket at a speed exceeding Mach 7 is fantastic. It turned out that in Russia it became reality! The “golden heads” of our military-industrial complex managed to outwit the laws of physics!

The presentation of the newest Russian cruise missile 3M22 Zircon on March 17, 2016, despite the silence of most media, did not go unnoticed by the expert community and the military. Speculation immediately appeared regarding the tactical and technical characteristics of the new brainchild of Rosoboronprom. Preliminary test data gave reason to believe that the Russian Navy and naval aviation may receive completely new and powerful weapon. It is planned to re-equip the Project 1144 Orlan-type TARKR with these missiles, and equip the Project Leader cruisers and Husky-class submarines under construction.

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 systems Air defense into a pile of unnecessary rubbish.

Appearance the latest superweapon has its own backstory, consisting of a chain 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 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, latest system weapons 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.

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 whose speed reaches 2000-2500 km/h. Against the newest Russian development Western missile defenses are powerless. The flight range of the Russian anti-ship missile system 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. When developing the rocket, the emphasis was on its high speed. According to experts, the new generation of high-speed anti-ship missiles represents big problem for air defense systems. There is very little time to detect a projectile flying towards the target in order to not only qualify the type of threat, but also take adequate countermeasures.

Russian nuclear-powered cruisers of Project 1144, re-equipped with the latest cruise missiles, will again become real threat dominion 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, this will radically shift the balance of world naval forces to the side Russian fleet.

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

The need for a new anti-ship missile did not arise immediately. The P-600 Granit and P-800 Oniks missile systems in service with the fleet continue to be a formidable force today. However, the developers of ultra-modern shipborne air defense systems are not wasting their time either. 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 effectiveness of ship missile defense.

In this regard, the idea of a significant modernization of the Russian Navy with new types of weapons arose. One of the areas of the process was the development 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 effective tool deterrence at sea. The new 3M22 rocket has unique performance characteristics, however, there is no exact data about them yet. Even preliminary data suggests that the new weapon is a serious step towards the emergence of new types and types of weapons.

Why is the new Russian missile called hypersonic? The fact is that today attack missiles have an average flight speed of 2-2.5 MAX. The new development must fly at a speed of at least 4,500 km/h, exceeding the sound barrier by 5-6 times. Creating such a fast projectile is not an easy task. Even at the project stage, difficulties arose with how to achieve the necessary acceleration of the rocket. Using traditional rocket engines for these purposes will have no effect.

Vehicles flying at supersonic speeds are fundamentally different from vehicles flying at hypersonic speeds. Regular turbo jet engine after exceeding the speed of sound three times, it loses thrust - the main indicator of the efficiency of an aircraft engine. Neither liquid nor solid propellant jet engines are suitable for weapons such as cruise missiles. The rocket performs certain evolutions during flight, which cannot be provided by operating sustainer rocket engines and constant-thrust turbojet engines.

The result of scientific and technical research was a ramjet rocket engine capable of operating in supersonic combustion conditions. It was even developed for these purposes the new kind Decilin-M rocket fuel with increased energy intensity.

During a missile flight in airspace at an altitude of 50-200 meters, the projectile body heats up to high temperatures, therefore, new heat-resistant alloys were used in the manufacture of the product.

For reference: The first American hypersonic aircraft, the Valkyrie, reached speeds of up to 3,200 km/h. The airframe of the aircraft was made of titanium. It was impractical and expensive to use such an expensive metal for mass production of missiles.

It was no less difficult to solve the problem of missile homing at high speeds. Unlike well-known aeroballistic combat systems capable of flying at hypersonic speeds and at altitudes of up to 100 km, the cruise missile has a different scope. The main flight of the rocket takes place in dense layers of the atmosphere. Unlike ballistic missiles, missile launchers have a flat flight path and shorter range. All these requirements pose new challenges for weapons developers.

In flight at hypersonic speed, due to the appearance of a plasma cloud around a flying projectile, a natural distortion of target designation parameters appears. It was decided to install advanced radio-electronic equipment on the new missile, capable of guiding a projectile to a target at high speed, despite the opposition of powerful electromagnetic fields.

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 probable 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 Russian rocket there are 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. New weapons will significantly enhance the operational and tactical capabilities of Pacific Fleet ships in 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.

Finally

The latest developments by Russian designers have baffled the defense departments of the United States, Great Britain and China, which assess the emergence of the latest hypersonic missile as a potential threat to their navies. Today, the technical equipment of the Russian fleet with operational-tactical weapons is in a satisfactory state, however, constant technological progress leads to the rapid obsolescence of the combat potential of the modern fleet. Just yesterday, the powerful Granit cruise missiles frightened American admirals, but today the missile armament of Russian ships is already in need of improvement.

The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is significantly ahead of its time in its parameters. The technologies that went into the design of the industrial design are years ahead of the technological level of weapons and equipment of the fleet. New submarines designed at the Malakhit Design Bureau are being developed as combat platforms for a new generation of weapons.

One should not discount the fact that new frigates and corvettes, which currently represent the backbone of the Russian Navy, will in the future be armed with hypersonic missiles.

In China, similar developments are also moving at a rapid pace. The latest Chinese anti-ship missile, the DF-21, with a range of up to 3,000 km, could enter service with the PLA Navy within 2-3 years. The Americans are trying to keep up with Russia and China by working on the X-51A X-51 Wave Rider project. This hypersonic missile should be on par with Russian and Chinese developments.

It never came to the real flight of the American brainchild. China only plans to complete the work by 2020. At the operational-tactical level, the Russian hypersonic missile already has real outlines in metal, has been tested and is being prepared for serial production. What will it be like further fate the latest weapons, time will tell. However, modernization of the Russian fleet and rearmament of ships will begin in the near future.

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