3M22 Zircon: Difference between revisions

Zircon^[1] or 3M22 Tsirkon (Циркон) is a maneuvering hypersonic missile being developed by the Russian military.^[2]

The Zircon or 3M22 Tsirkon is a maneuvering^[3][4] hypersonic missile represents a further development of the HELA (Russian: "Hypersonic Experimental Flying Vehicle") that was on display at the MAKS airshow in 1995. Prototypes were test-launched first from a Tu-22M3 bomber in 2012-13. Launches from a ground platform followed in 2015, with first success achieved in 2016. Completion of state trials on the whole family is targeted for 2020. The Zircon is believed to be a winged cruise missile with a lift-generating center body. A booster stage with solid-fuel engines accelerates it to supersonic speeds, after which a scramjet motor in the second stage accelerates it to hypersonic speeds. Range is estimated to be 135 to 270 nautical miles (155 to 311 mi; 250 to 500 km) at low level, and up to 400 nmi (460 mi; 740 km) in a semi-ballistic trajectory;^[5] average range is around 400 km (250 mi; 220 nmi)/450^[6]. The missile can travel at speeds of Mach 5 – Mach 6 (3,800–4,600 mph; 6,100–7,400 km/h; 1.7–2.0 km/s). Such high speeds have led to concerns that it could penetrate existing naval defense systems; the Royal Navy's Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missile is only capable of intercepting targets flying up to Mach 3.^[7][8][9] In April 2017, it was revealed that the Zircon had reached a speed of Mach 8 (6,100 mph; 9,800 km/h; 2.7 km/s) during a test.^[10]

According to the state-owned media, the longest range is 540 nmi (620 mi; 1,000 km) for this purpose a new fuel was created.^[11][12]

The Zircon will be incorporated into the Kirov-class battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov in 2018, and the Pyotr Velikiy in 2022. The ships will have their Mach 2.5, 630 kilometres (390 mi; 340 nmi)-range P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles replaced with 3S-14 vertical launch systems capable of holding P-800 Oniks and Kalibr missiles as well as the Zircon; each battlecruiser will be equipped with 10 of the missiles. It will also be used by undersea and aerial platforms, including the Husky-class submarine and Tu-160M2 Blackjack and PAK-DA bombers.^[7][9][13]

A version for export will have range limited to under 300 km in compliance with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)^[5]. 400^[14]

• BrahMos-II
• Kh-90
• Boeing X-51
• Kh-22up to 1000 km.

• Representation of the hypersonic missile in flight

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