The hypersonic missile "Zircon", which Russia will adopt in the coming years, will put the aircraft carrier strike groups of the US Navy at risk and make them ineffective, according to Mark Episkopos, a columnist for The National Interest.
The carriers of the "Zircons" will be the frigates of the project 22350, the missiles have been repeatedly tested from its lead ship "Admiral Gorshkov".
Combat vessels with a displacement of more than five thousand tons and a maximum speed of 29 knots have a vertical launch system for R-800 "Onyx", 3M-54 "Caliber" and "Zircon" missiles, as well as the latest anti-torpedo system "Package-E/NK". Currently, two ships are already on combat duty, the third-Admiral Golovko-is planned to be transferred to the fleet within a few years. Judging by the reports of media sources in the military-industrial complex, he will become the first full-time carrier of the "Zircon".
This anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile is capable of flying at a speed of about 11 thousand kilometers per hour - Mach 9. In addition to surface ships, it will also be equipped with submarines of the Yasen-M project.
- The missile boasts a range of action, which is from one to two thousand kilometers, depending on the launch platform and combat conditions. This distance is enough to put the aircraft carrier strike groups of the US Navy at risk and significantly limit their effective actions, " says Episkopos.
The author also refers to the statements of military experts who claim that due to the ability to maneuver in flight, no missile defense systems of NATO forces can provide a reliable interception of the "Zircon".
So, retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok told RT that the surface-to-air systems installed on Arleigh Burke-class missile destroyers are designed to neutralize supersonic cruise missiles, and they are not able to resist hypersonic ones because of the zero reaction time-due to the high speed, the Zircon will strike immediately after detection.
Timur Alimov
