In the hypersonic race, the Russian Zircon takes the lead. Hypersonic era: the Zircon missile will make the enemy's missile defense system meaningless Characteristics of the new Russian zircon missile

On February 20, in his next address to the Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin again spoke about promising domestic developments in the field of weapons. Along with other products, the promising Zircon anti-ship missile was mentioned. The head of state did not disclose all the data on this product, but the announced information was enough to launch numerous discussions and disputes. Specialists, politicians and funds express their opinion on Russian weapons mass media.

Reason for controversy

The existence of a new anti-ship missile with special characteristics called Zircon became known a few years ago. Since then, officials and anonymous media sources have managed to reveal some details of the project, although the development as a whole remained secret. On February 20, as part of the presidential address to the Federal Assembly, new official data on Zircon were announced.

Model of the BrahMos II rocket, formerly associated with Zircon

V. Putin said that work on the draft of the new RCC is currently ongoing, the expected success has been achieved, and it will be ready within the scheduled time frame. The Zircon project provides for the creation of a rocket with a flight speed of about M = 9 and a range of more than 1000 km. The carriers of such a missile will be surface ships and submarines equipped with Caliber complexes. The use of unified launchers will reduce the cost of introducing new weapons. The Zircon product will be able to attack both surface and coastal targets.

The President did not disclose other information about Zircon. However, in the context of all promising weapons, he outlined the goals and objectives. Thus, Russia reserves the right to develop and deploy new types of weapons for its own defense. The targets of such weapons should be both areas and objects from which an immediate threat emanates, as well as "decision-making centers" on the use of weapons dangerous to us.

Reaction from across the ocean

For several days after V. Putin's speech, US officials did not comment on new information about advanced weapons. At the same time, it was Washington's reaction that was of particular interest, since it is precisely the disagreements with it that are forcing Moscow to create new weapons to destroy "decision-making centers" and other dangerous objects.

The first comment about "Zircon" appeared only on February 24th. CNN interviewed US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and one of the questions was about new Russian weapons. The US foreign policy chief called the claims of new missiles and their deployment against existing targets "empty threats." He also believes that talk of new developments is meant to cover up a key challenge. Finally, the Secretary of State did not forget to mention Russia's "violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty."

The American media reacted to the "Zircon" in different ways and in accordance with their focus. The tabloids were screaming about new threat, while more serious publications tried to understand the essence of the problem. M. Pompeo's statements have changed the tone of new publications. Now the new Russian anti-ship missile is most often seen as a real challenge to American security, which, however, may be overestimated.

Rocket strike "Vesti Nedeli"

On February 24, the topic of Zircon missiles was raised in the Vesti Nedeli program of the Rossiya 1 TV channel. The host of the program, Dmitry Kiselev, in his well-known manner, spoke about the new missile and about the possible principles of its use against dangerous objects - the same decision-making centers of a potential enemy. The information provided, the manner of presentation and the reputation of the program did their job, and the plot attracted the attention of both domestic and foreign viewers.

The host of Vesti Nedeli proposed to consider the following scenario for the use of weapons. Ships and submarines with Zircon missiles must be located 400 km from the west and east coasts of the United States - outside the exclusive maritime zone. From such positions, the fleet must strike at key targets. Each submarine is said to carry 40 Zircon missiles.

From the Atlantic, submarines and ships will be able to fire at the Pentagon, the command post at Camp David, as well as objects at Fort Ritchie. From the Pacific, it is proposed to attack the Jim Creek nuclear command post and the McClellan strategic offensive force command post.

D. Kiselev calculated that the distance from the missile launch point to the designated targets does not exceed 800 km. At a flight speed of 11,000 km/h, the flight time will not exceed 5 minutes. The potential for such a strike is obvious.

Foreign media quickly responded to the news item from Vesti Nedeli. Some publications suggested in one way or another to prepare for war and catastrophic consequences. missile attack, while others supported M. Pompeo's fresh statements and began to urge to remain calm.

Of great interest is the reaction of the New York Post. It studied the list of targets "assigned" by the Russian TV program and published the results of such a check. It turned out that the McClellan Naval Base and Training Center Fort Ritchie closed a few years ago, and Jim Creek is not a command post but a communications facility. Thus, only the Pentagon and facilities at Camp David remained real and relevant targets.

On February 25, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov commented on the story of Vesti Nedeli. He pointed out that the country's leadership does not interfere in the editorial policy of TV channels, including state ones. He recommended addressing questions about the content of television stories directly to the channels. D. Peskov also recalled that in his recent message, V. Putin spoke only about the actual deployment of weapons against potentially dangerous objects. Specific geographical points were not named.

German fears

The other day in the domestic press widely quoted new article German edition of Stern. On March 1, it published material on the Zircon rocket. Its title, "Putins Zirkon-Rakete - schneller und tödlicher als vom Westen erwartet" ("Putin's Zirkon Rocket - Faster and Deadlier Than the West Thought") reflected some concerns about the capabilities of the new Russian weapons.

Reviewing the available information about the Zircon missile, Stern notes that the recently announced flight specifications of this product correspond to data previously published in Russian media. At the same time, they exceed the estimates of foreign experts. So, the German author refers to estimates of speed up to 6 thousand km / h and range up to 500 km.

From the new data on speed and range, Stern draws obvious conclusions. It is noted that the interception of a missile at a speed of 11 thousand km / h using non-nuclear means air defense impossible. High speed reduces the available reaction time: in just 3 minutes, the rocket top speed can travel 600 km. Only combat lasers and radio-electronic air defense systems can effectively deal with such strike weapons.

However, the Stern article notes the difficulty of creating hypersonic missiles. It is required not only to ensure a high flight speed, but also to create a sufficiently strong structure that is resistant to temperature loads when flying inside a plasma cloud. Maneuvering at high speeds presents another difficulty.

According to V. Putin, the Zircon missiles will be installed on ships and submarines using existing launchers from the Caliber complex. At the same time, the author of Stern believes that after the expected termination of the INF Treaty, one can expect the appearance of a ground-based version hypersonic weapons. In addition, referring to the Russian press, the German publication writes about the possible development of a version of the Zircon for use in military aviation. Such a missile will complement the already known products "Dagger". The use of a carrier aircraft with a certain combat radius will increase the zone of responsibility of the missiles.

Stern also recalled the assessments of Tim Ripley, a columnist for Jane's Defense Weekly, made in 2016. He noted that the high speed of the new missile reduces the time for enemy air defense to respond. This will allow the Zircons to unexpectedly attack a helpless enemy and inflict heavy damage on him "T. Ripley assumed that within the framework of the Zircon project, not only an anti-ship missile, but also a weapon for attacking land targets could be created. In his opinion, the United States should also work on such weapons. If this is not done, then Western countries may lag behind Russia and China.

Reaction to news

In general, Vladimir Putin's statements about the continuation of work on a promising hypersonic missile did not go unnoticed. The reaction to this news was different, including diametrically opposed. At the same time, it should be noted that officials and the media commented on the new messages, taking into account their position and political issues.

Meanwhile, ignoring the statements of foreign persons and publications in the foreign press, the Russian industry continues to work on the Zircon project. According to the latest official reports, the project is progressing on schedule and will be completed as scheduled. However, the military department and the head of state have not yet specified them. According to the news of past years, the experimental Zircon missiles have already been tested for a long time, and therefore it can be assumed that the adoption of such a product is not far off. And this means that in the near future a new wave of articles, opinions, discussions and loud statements awaits us.

According to the websites:
http://kremlin.ru/
https://edition.cnn.com/
https://ria.ru/
https://tass.ru/
https://stern.de/
https://inosmi.ru/

The Washington Times, an American conservative newspaper, reported on the testing in Russia of the latest Zircon hypersonic missile, which, according to the author of the article, represents a "quantum leap" in the creation of "asymmetric weapons" to protect against nuclear attack. The reaction of the publication looks somewhat belated.

Tests of the Zircon 3M22 hypersonic missile are underway. Specifications are secret, but the existence of the rocket and some of the test results are not a secret. In April, Zircon exceeded the speed of sound eight times. And six years ago, the general director of the corporation "Tactical missile armament"Boris Obnosov reported on the development of a rocket capable of developing .

According to unconfirmed reports, Zircon is a hypersonic modification of a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, a joint Russian-Indian development. By analogy, it can be assumed that the Zircon's damage radius is .

Be that as it may, serial production of Zircons is scheduled to begin in 2017. The first such hypersonic weapon in the world will be received by the heavy nuclear missile cruisers Pyotr Veliky and Admiral Nakhimov, and then by the multi-purpose nuclear missiles.

Our priorities

The new weapon is the fruit of the most complex scientific and technical developments. Objects flying at speeds above 4,500 kilometers per hour are considered hypersonic, and no one has canceled atmospheric resistance. It is impossible to disperse a hypersonic vehicle with a traditional jet engine; it is necessary to use rocket-ramjet - with supersonic combustion.

After accelerating to hypersonic speeds, maneuverable flight begins in the atmosphere at high temperatures - the device envelops a plasma cloud that can burn antennas and sensors. In this case, the onboard radio-electronic equipment must ensure stable course calculation and maneuvering.

The fact that engineers have largely managed to solve these problems is indirectly evidenced by the recent tests in India of the BrahMos Aerospace rocket version of the "block-III" with a steep dive maneuver. Note that the technologies created within the framework of the revolutionary hypersonic project are in themselves the most important "added value" and will be used not only as a weapon.

The Zircon is based on the harmonious concept of BrahMos (three times the speed of sound during the entire flight, reliable control, high efficiency of overcoming air defense-missile defense, huge damaging ability due to kinetic energy). Almost certainly, this concept will be used to create a universal hypersonic missile system, one for different carriers, tasks and purposes.

at the American Center for Strategic and international studies believe that, thanks to the latest developments - a hypersonic missile, a fifth-generation stealth fighter, a promising aviation complex, an anti-aircraft missile system(ZRS), The Russian Armed Forces will significantly increase their power by 2035. Russian Government program armaments includes the development and supply of fundamentally new models of hypersonic weapons to the troops in 2018-2025.

View from the outside

Earlier, the British newspaper The Times called the Russian P-800 Onyx and Zircon 3M22 anti-ship missiles the most serious. Even supersonic "Onyxes" are capable of flying up to the ship almost over the crests of waves at a speed twice the speed of sound (they are in the zone of destruction of the ship's air defense for several seconds). Hypersonic Zircons are simply elusive (invisible in a plasma cloud) for existing and future air defense and missile defense systems.

Carrier strike groups (AUGs) will have to stay out of their reach, and the aircraft will not have enough fuel to overcome this distance, that is, in the event of a confrontation with Russia, the British AUGs can become useless overnight.

"Zircon" is compared with the X-51A Waverider hypersonic cruise missile being developed in the United States, but this comparison is not in favor of the American counterpart. In August 2014, a hypersonic X-43A missile was tested in Alaska - after seven seconds of flight at a speed of about 6.5 thousand kilometers per hour, the device burned out in the atmosphere. The Zircons have not had such misfires yet.

And US President George W. Bush signed a directive that makes it possible to apply a quick global impact(Prompt Global Strike) with high-precision hypersonic cruise missiles on any region of the world - within 60 minutes after the decision is made.

Meanwhile, Russia has also successfully tested a hypersonic warhead for advanced intercontinental missiles. On October 25, 2016, a hypersonic aircraft (item 4202) launched from the Dombarovsky launch area in the Orenburg Region and reached the Kura test site in Kamchatka. Success was preceded by a large-scale import substitution program. onboard equipment, electronic complexes and the 4202 hypersonic product control system. Probably hypersonic warheads will receive a new heavy intercontinental missile "Sarmat", the throwing tests of which will begin in 2017.

The unannounced high-tech arms race continues.

The presentation of the latest 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. Assumptions immediately appeared regarding the tactical and technical characteristics of the new brainchild of Rosoboronprom. Preliminary test data gave reason to believe that soon the Russian Navy and naval aviation may receive a completely new and powerful weapon. These missiles are supposed to re-equip the Orlan-type TARKR project 1144, to equip the Leader project cruisers and Husky-type submarines under construction.

The history of the creation of the latest rocket

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

The appearance of the newest superweapon has its own prehistory, consisting of a chain important facts. Work on the creation of a rocket capable of flying at hypersonic speeds was carried out in the USSR in the mid-70s. Back in the 1970s, the Dubna design bureau "Rainbow" 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, 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 tactical missiles appeared at the end of 2011.

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

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

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

The parent company Strela, which produces strike anti-ship systems Oniks, 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 the progress on the Zircon topic disappeared from public information resources.

The meager information leaking to the media was clearly insufficient. And only by the scale of involvement in the Zircon project of the largest specialized enterprises 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-missiles currently in service with NATO fleets are capable of successfully combating the Granit anti-ship missiles and similar aircraft, the speed of which reaches 2000-2500 km/h. Western anti-missiles are powerless against the latest Russian development. The flight range of the Russian anti-ship missiles will be approximately 300-400 km, which is quite enough for the effective destruction of ships outside the radio contact zone.

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

Russian Project 1144 nuclear cruisers, 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 upgraded Admiral Nakhimov TARKR with new missile systems. Later, the flagship of the Northern Fleet TARKR "Peter the Great" awaits the same fate. The plans include the construction of nuclear attack submarines of the Husky type, armed with hypersonic cruise missiles, this will radically shift the balance of world naval forces towards the Russian fleet.

The main technical subtleties and nuances in the creation of a new generation rocket

The need for a new anti-ship missile did not arise immediately. The missile systems P-600 "Granit" and P-800 "Onyx", which were in service with the fleet, continue to be a formidable force today. However, the developers of state-of-the-art 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 combat capabilities sea-based cruise missiles will be exhausted due to the effectiveness missile defense ships.

In this regard, the idea of a significant modernization of the Russian Navy with new types of weapons arose. One of the directions 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 containment at sea. The new 3M22 missile has unique performance characteristics, but there is no exact data on them yet. Even preliminary data say 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 strike missiles have an average flight speed of 2-2.5 MAX. The new development must fly at a speed of at least 4500 km / h, exceeding the sound barrier by 5-6 times. To create such a swift projectile is not an easy task. Even at the project stage, difficulties arose with how to achieve the necessary acceleration of the rocket. The use of traditional rocket engines for these purposes should 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 a liquid nor a solid-propellant jet engine is suitable for such a type of weapon as cruise missiles. The rocket performs certain evolutions during the flight, which cannot be ensured by the operating sustainer rocket engines and turbojet engines with constant thrust.

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

During the flight of a rocket in airspace at an altitude of 50-200 meters, the body of the projectile 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 "Valkyrie" developed a speed of up to 3200 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 homing missiles at high speeds. Unlike well-known aeroballistic combat systems capable of flying at hypersonic speeds and at altitudes up to 100 km, a cruise missile has a different scope. The main flight of the rocket takes place in the dense layers of the atmosphere. Unlike ballistic missiles, KR has a flat flight path and a 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 the flying projectile, a natural distortion of the target designation parameters appears. It was decided to install advanced electronic equipment on the new missile, capable of leading the projectile to the target at high speed, despite the opposition of powerful electromagnetic fields.

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

The rocket was first launched at a flight test site in Aktobe in 2012. The launch was carried out from strategic missile carrier Tu-22M3. Further launches were carried out from ground launchers. The complex of basic 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 in a series.

The high naval command believes that one TARKR "Peter the Great", armed with hypersonic anti-ship missiles "Zirkon", will be able to single-handedly withstand a whole combat formation of ships of a potential enemy. At coastal maritime theaters, Russian warships small and medium class, equipped with the latest missile, 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 countries of the Baltic basin.

The situation is similar with the re-equipment of the ships of the Pacific Fleet. The new armament will significantly enhance the operational and tactical capabilities of Pacific Fleet ships in pacific ocean. In some way, this will create a reliable springboard for strengthening the defense capability of the Far Eastern borders in the face of a real threat.

Finally

The latest developments of 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. Yesterday, the powerful Granit cruise missiles frightened American admirals, but today missile weapons Russian ships already in need of improvement.

The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is far ahead of its time in terms of its parameters. The technologies that formed the design of the industrial design are years ahead of the technological level of armament and equipment of the fleet. The new submarines being 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 the new frigates and corvettes, which today represent the backbone of the Russian Navy, will be armed with hypersonic missiles in the future.

In China, such developments are also moving at a rapid pace. The latest Chinese anti-ship missile DF-21 with a range of up to 3,000 km can enter service with the PLA Navy within 2-3 years. The Americans are trying to keep up with Russia and China, working on the X-51A X-51 Wave Rider project. This hypersonic missile should not be inferior to Russian and Chinese development.

Before the real flight of the American offspring, it did not come. 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 further fate the latest weapons, time will tell. Nevertheless, the modernization of the Russian fleet and the rearmament of ships will begin in the near future.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

It is incredibly relevant, even considering the fact that the last global conflict took place over 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 also actively involved in this process. This article will focus on one of the latest developments in the country - anti-ship missiles "Zircon". To begin with, it is worth understanding what RCC is, as well as how this technology appeared. And then it will be possible to go directly to the consideration of the Zircon anti-ship missile itself.

History of anti-ship missiles

RCC is an anti-ship missile, that is, a type of weapon designed to destroy water targets. First projects similar 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 has begun.

During the Second World War, such 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 "Termite" 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 only attack at a distance of 18 kilometers, then the Soviet anti-ship missile of 1983 P-750 Meteorite could already cover a distance of up to 5500 kilometers.

However, in the conditions of modern hostilities, the most important aspect was not the range of the attack and not even its strength, but invisibility - the currently launched Meteorite, which is about thirteen meters long, will be instantly noticed by radars and shot down. That's why modern rockets are available in a much smaller size, but are capable of, for example, most range to fly at a very low altitude, remaining invisible to enemy radar, and then directly in front of the target, fly up sharply in order to most effectively attack this target.

Moreover, modern designers are working on the creation of anti-ship missiles, which could independently select a target and lay a route to it, thereby significantly increasing the effectiveness of the gun. However, these are American designers - but what about Russia?

It is here that you need to switch to the Zircon anti-ship missiles. The development of this rocket has been going on for a long time, and testing, apparently, began in 2012, but this information is not confirmed. RCC "Zircon" should become a new word in the history of the arms race - but what does it represent? What data about it has already become known to the public?

What is this rocket?

The 3M22 Zircon missile is one of the latest developments of Russian military technologists. As a matter of fact, if we describe this project briefly, then this is an operational hypersonic anti-ship missile. Work on the development, production, testing and commissioning began already in 2011 - it was then that the first mentions in the press appeared. However, in reality, work could have been carried out earlier, but this information is unlikely to be published or confirmed by anyone. The NPO Mashinostroeniya is engaged in the production of this rocket - and based on this information, other rumors appeared, namely that the 3M22 Zircon rocket is the direct successor to another project of the same manufacturer, the Bolid missile system.

Some components

So, now you know what the Zircon missiles are, and also when their development began. Of course, there are supporters of the theory that the whole process was started much earlier, but there are a lot of theories. As for the facts, there is documentation, according to which it was in 2011 that a special group was organized, consisting of the leading designers of the industry, which was tasked with developing this missile and the missile system as a whole.

It was in 2011 that the first drawings of both the rocket itself and its various subsystems belong. All developments were carried out in NPO Mashinostroeniya, as well as in its structural divisions, including UPKB Detal. However, the direct mass production of these missiles will be carried out at the Strela Production Association in the city of Orenburg. These are preliminary data that may change in the future, however, as of 2016, it was planned to use the Orenburg Strela to produce Zircon missiles.

Pause development

In 2012, stunning information began to leak into the press - there was evidence that the new Zircon missile might never be born. Many sources said that the project is either completely closed or put on hold to make major changes. There was no confirmation at that time, so people could only guess if work on this project would be resumed.

As a result, the country's government decided to merge the NPO Mashinostroeniya working on the project with the Raduga Design Bureau - this step was taken in order to resume work on such an important project for the country's military sphere. "Zircon" was obliged to enter service with the Russian Navy no matter what, so everything was done necessary measures to unfreeze the project.

As a result, work on the rocket resumed, and in the spring of 2013, the public learned that some difficulties had arisen during the previous year, so work on the project was suspended, but there could be no question of canceling the development of Zircon missiles.

current situation

What is 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, then only in the summer of 2015 it was announced that the missiles were ready for testing. Most likely, early tests did take place, but in 2015 it was already about full-scale tests at the state level.

As a result, in February 2016, it was reported that the tests had already begun - and upon their completion, the readiness of the project for mass production would be announced. In April 2016, it was reported that the tests would last for a whole year and be completed in 2017, and in 2018 the serial production of the Zircon anti-ship missiles will already be launched. The characteristics of this rocket have not yet been fully disclosed, but quite a few details are already known, which will be discussed later.

Launch 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 these data are quite fresh, they remain conjectural - over time, everything can change, but today this is the most relevant information.

Control and guidance systems

The control and guidance systems that will be used to power the Russian 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. AT modern world the conditions are completely different, so much more attention is paid to the launch, control and guidance of missiles.

Now anti-ship missiles can fly at incredibly low altitudes to avoid enemy radars, as well as plot their own route to the target, which is the most effective, and correct it as they move. Systems for the Zircon missile were developed at various locations. For example, the autopilot and inertial navigation system was developed at NPO Granit-Electron, and the control system itself was developed at NPO Elektromekhaniki. 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 - of course, 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 distraction. Accordingly, by the beginning of the design of the Zircon missiles, the engines for it were ready and tested in practice.

Specifications

One of the most interesting moments, of course, are the technical characteristics of this rocket. What is she capable of? What kind of competition can the leading anti-ship missiles of today create? It is worth remembering that the P-800 Oniks was the last successful anti-ship missile model created on the territory of the Russian Federation - this missile could attack at a distance of up to 300 kilometers and flew at the same time at a speed of Mach 0.85. What can the Zircon anti-ship missiles offer?

The speed of this rocket is impressive and represents one of the biggest assets of the project. According to preliminary data, it will be able to reach speeds of about Mach 4.5, but there are suggestions that in the final product the speed can even reach Mach 6. As for the distance at which this rocket will operate, here 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 is launched into mass production, the range of the Zircon anti-ship missiles will be at least 800 kilometers and can even reach thousands of 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 improvements, after which the new anti-ship missiles will be put into mass production.

However, some assumptions are still worth reading. For example, somewhere in July-August 2012, a throw test of this missile was made from a Tu-22M3 aircraft over Akhtubinsky - it turned out to be 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, in the same place, in Akhtubinsk, another test was carried out - again the rocket was dropped from an aircraft, however, this launch was also unsuccessful, the flight was too short. Reasons to believe that this missile was precisely the Zircon anti-ship missile, gives an interview with the head of the KTRV, in which he said that the Russian Federation already has missiles that fly in hypersound.

In September of the same year, the third was carried out over Akhtubinsk from an airplane - and it again turned out to be unsuccessful. Most likely, it was a prototype of the Zircon rocket 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, since it was announced that the Zircon anti-ship missiles were ready for full-scale state tests. And the first test took place already in December of the same year - it was no longer a launch from an aircraft. A ground launch complex was installed at the Nenoksa test site, 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 it happened in March 2016. At the same Nenoksa test site, a launch was made from the same ground-based launch complex, which turned out to be successful. It was then that the media officially announced that the tests of the new Zircon anti-ship missiles had begun.

carriers

So, tests of the Zircon anti-aircraft missile system have been underway for about a year, this year it is planned to complete these tests and, with a good combination of circumstances, launch mass production. But where will these missiles go when they are ready? It was already reported above that the 11442M cruiser, which is on this moment undergoing modernization to be able to carry these missiles.

However, there are also longer-term plans. Firstly, the Zircon anti-ship missiles will be installed on the cruiser 11442 Peter the Great, the modernization of which is scheduled for 2019. In addition, fifth-generation Husky submarines will be supplied with these missiles. These nuclear multi-purpose submarines have not even entered production yet. They are at the design stage. But the Zircon anti-ship missiles were designed largely with the goal of integrating them into the Husky systems, which would make these submarines incredibly dangerous and deadly effective.

Russia's new hypersonic missile could make it pointless American system missile defense and give us an advantage for 30 years ahead. The report of the successful tests of the latest Russian hypersonic cruise anti-ship missile "Zirkon" became a real sensation. It's no joke, this device has reached eight speeds of sound, that is, 2.5 km / s. This achievement confidently brings Russia forward in one of the most promising areas. After all, the development of hypersonic vehicles, besides us, is carried out by the United States and China, but they have not yet been able to show the world anything like that. Running with obstacles The speed record for modern anti-ship missiles is Mach 2.5 (M), or two and a half the speed of sound. Such missiles are launched in the intended direction of the target's movement. However, even with such a missile flight speed, the target can change direction and go beyond the detection sector of the homing head. A thermal barrier is an obstacle to further increase in speed. Flights of prototypes at 3 M were accompanied by heating of the edges of the air intakes and the leading edge of the wing up to 300 ° C, and the rest of the skin - up to 250. At 230 ° C, the strength of duralumin decreases, at 520 ° C, titanium alloys lose the necessary mechanical properties. And at temperatures above 650 ° C, aluminum and magnesium melt, heat-resistant steel loses its properties. And this is when flying in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20 km in highly rarefied air. Achieving a speed of 3 M at lower altitudes is not possible: the skin temperature would reach four-digit values. But on a high-altitude trajectory, the enemy will notice the missile launch within seconds after the launch and begin to prepare to repel the attack. And what happens if his radar loses a missile? Well, let's say, it will be enveloped by a plasma cloud, as happens at speeds of more than 4 - 5 M, that is, in hypersound? Most likely, he will decide that the signal was false and wave his hand. But how to achieve such a speed if the structure heats up and the fuel boils? To achieve hypersound, a rocket needs hydrogen, or at least a fuel consisting largely of hydrogen. But gaseous hydrogen has a low density, and storing liquid hydrogen creates insurmountable technical difficulties. In addition, the plasma cloud will burn the radio antennas, which will lead to loss of control of the vehicle.
Remember everything On the Soviet hypersonic X-90 GELA missile, these shortcomings were turned into advantages. The problem of cooling the hull and hydrogen fuel was solved in such a way that a mixture of kerosene and water was used as its components. After heating, it was fed into a mini-reactor, where a reaction took place, as a result of which hydrogen fuel was produced. This process simultaneously led to a strong cooling of the machine body. No less original was the problem of burning radio antennas, which began to be used as the plasma cloud itself. At the same time, it allowed the device not only to move in the atmosphere at a speed of 5 M, but also to sharply change the direction of flight. In addition, the plasma cloud also created the effect of a cap of invisibility for radars. GELA flew 3000 km and, presumably, could carry two nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, the program was closed in 1992, then the country ran out of money, and it seemed that hypersonic flights were forgotten.
The birth of a rocket In 2011, NPO Mashinostroeniya created a group of designers to develop the ZK22 Zirkon hypersonic shipborne missile system. The first tests and the first failures occurred in 2012 and 2013. It took three years to eliminate the shortcomings, and only in 2016, after testing from a ground stand, the developers announced the creation of a new hypersonic missile weapon. At the same time, it was said that it could go into production from 2017. Of course, the test results of such weapons are a mystery, but some assumptions about the characteristics of the Zircon of the first modification can be made. Already the first modification of this missile will have a range about 500 km at a speed of 2.5 km / s, and with an increase in speed to 3.5 km / s, the range will triple. The United States has nothing like Zircon and is not expected in the near future. It must be understood that at the speeds of this missile, which are eight to ten times the speed of sound, no air defense missiles can bring it down. Thus, the reaction time of the US air defense missile system of the Aegis system is about 8-10 seconds. "Zirkon" at a speed of 2 km / s during this time will fly up to 25 km, the air defense system will not physically have time to work out such a target. Ground-based interceptor missiles also do not have time to catch up with "Zirkon" and can only be used on a collision course. That is, "Zircons" are specially designed to overcome enemy air defenses.
new era It seems that the first ship to be armed with the ZK22 Zircon will be the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, which is currently undergoing modernization. The ship should return to the combat fleet in 2018. In addition, after the modernization is completed in 2022, another nuclear cruiser, Pyotr Veliky, will also be armed with these missiles. Now each of them has 20 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, and each can accommodate three Zircons. A total of 60 missiles on each cruiser instead of 20. And when we have the fifth-generation Husky submarine, on which the Zircon will stand, we can confidently say that we have achieved superiority over the United States.
It is no coincidence that Congressman Trend Franks commented on the situation: “The hypersonic era is approaching. Enemy developments are fundamentally changing the fundamental laws of war." And indeed it is. The appearance in our country of long-range hypersonic cruise missiles with nuclear warheads will make any missile defense system meaningless for at least 30 years ahead. You can read other materials from the latest issue of the Zvezda weekly by downloading the electronic version of the newspaper.