The Admiral Gorshkov frigate hit a target located at the Chizha training ground with a Zircon hypersonic missile. Serial deliveries of "Zircon" should begin next year.
Russia is completing a test cycle of the Zircon hypersonic missile. According to TASS, the next stage of tests was passed. The rocket was launched from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov.
The launch was carried out from the White Sea. The missile hit a target located on the shore in the Arkhangelsk region. The flight of the "Zircon" corresponded to the specified parameters. The tests were conducted with the participation of other surface ships (in addition to the Admiral Gorshkov) and naval aviation of the Northern Fleet.
The launch of the Zircon / © The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Admiral Gorshkov is a new Russian frigate of project 22350, which was commissioned in 2018. It has long been used for tests of the Zircon rocket. Meanwhile, the first regular carrier, according to media reports, will be another representative of the series - the frigate Admiral Golovko. The ship is planned to be handed over to the customer next year.
Frigate "Admiral Golovko" project 22350
Image source: Northern Shipyard
In addition to surface ships, "Zircons" will be armed with submarines, including the latest boats of the 885M project, as well as a promising Russian fifth-generation submarine. The first full-time submarine carrier will be the Perm submarine, laid down in 2016.
Serial deliveries of "Zircon" should begin next year. The conclusion of the first agreement for the supply of hypersonic missiles became known in August. In November, it was reported about the start of serial production of "Zircons".
Hypersonic missile takes off from the standard launcher of the new ships of the Russian fleet
Image source: RIA Novosti, Ministry of Defense
The hypersonic missile is being created as a replacement for the old anti-ship complex P-700 "Granite", adopted in 1983. Like the Soviet missile, the Zircon will be able to effectively hit even very large vessels and ships, including UDC and aircraft carriers. At the same time, it will be extremely difficult to intercept the Zircon due to its speed.
The exact characteristics of the new rocket are not known for certain. By definition, hypersonic weapons must be able to fly in the atmosphere at a speed that exceeds or will be equal to M = 5 (6000 kilometers per hour), and maneuver using aerodynamic forces.
During the tests, the Zircon was able to reach a speed of M = 8 (9800 kilometers per hour), however, according to some reports, it is able to fly even faster.
During the tests, the rocket covered a distance of 450 kilometers. At the same time, the maximum range of the product can be significantly higher: it is assumed that it is more than 1000 kilometers. The estimated mass of the Zircon warhead is 300-400 kilograms.
