The commander of the frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, Captain of the first rank Igor Krokhmal, said that the appearance of a hypersonic missile is one of the secret parameters
MOSCOW, February 27. /tass/. The surface-launched hypersonic missile Zircon has a flight range of up to 1,500 km. This was reported by the commander of the frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, Captain of the first rank Igor Krokhmal in a report for the TV program "Vesti Nedelya" on the channel "Russia-1".
"The shooting will be conducted at a distance of 1,000 to 1,500 km. If we take 1,000 km and divide by the speed of Mach 9, we get a flight time of 580-620 seconds," he said, anticipating the launch of the rocket.
The report did not specify when the shooting was carried out. The announced launch of the Zircon took place on February 19 during exercises of the strategic deterrence forces.
As follows from the report, a naval target was hit at a range of up to a thousand kilometers. The launch was carried out from the Barents Sea.
He also said that the appearance of the hypersonic missile "Zircon" is one of the secret parameters. "It is under this cover of the universal launcher that the secret hypersonic Zircon is located. Even his appearance is still the strictest secret. Knowing the size of the launch shaft, it is possible to judge with confidence only about the dimensions of the rocket. Its length is about 9 m, its diameter is 60 cm," the commander said.
According to him, he himself saw the Zircon rocket only during the launch, when there was not much to see in the clouds of smoke and fire, and the Zircon frigate was loaded in a closed container.
"The appearance of a hypersonic missile, its appearance is one of the protected parameters. That's why I've never seen her. And it is impossible to see at the start. It is impossible at these speeds," Krokhmal assured.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation closed a significant territory of the Barents Sea for navigation during the exercises. "Let them watch, we don't mind, on the contrary, they will say in their information messages that yes, indeed, there are such weapons. Russia does not deceive us, does not lead us on a false trail. Let them watch, for this our exercises are open," the commander stressed, speaking about NATO observers monitoring the tests along the borders of the restricted area reserved for shooting.
State tests of the Zircon from the surface carrier are currently being completed. The developer and manufacturer of the rocket is the Reutov NPO of Mechanical Engineering (part of the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation).
About the Zircon rocket
On December 24, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of the Zircon. The tests, he said, were "successful, flawless." The exact tactical and technical characteristics of the "Zircon" are secret. On February 20, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his message to the Federal Assembly, stated that a missile from the Zircon complex is capable of reaching a speed equal to Mach 9 (sound speeds), has a range of more than 1 thousand km. On August 24, 2021, a contract for the supply of Zircons to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was signed at the Army-2021 military technical forum.
