3M22 Zircon: Difference between revisions

The Zircon or 3M22 Tsirkon is a maneuvering<ref>http://ren.tv/novosti/2017-04-15/ekspert-rasskazal-o-supersposobnosti-rakety-cirkon-preodolet-sistemy-pro</ref><ref>https://cont.ws/@skuratoff/218513</ref> 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 {{convert|135|to|270|nmi|mi km}} at low level, and up to {{convert|400|nmi|mi km|abbr=on}} in a semi-[[ballistic trajectory]];<ref name="ainonline25april17">[http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2017-04-25/russia-and-india-test-hypersonic-and-supersonic-missiles Russia and India Test Hypersonic and Supersonic Missiles] - Ainonline.com, 25 April 2017</ref> average range is around {{convert|400|km|mi nmi|abbr=on}}/450<ref>http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russias-lethal-hypersonic-zircon-cruise-missile-enter-15909</ref>. The missile can travel at speeds of {{convert|5-6|Mach|mph km/h 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.<ref name="popularmechanics26april16">{{cite web|last=Mizokami |first=Kyle |url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a20565/russia-hypersonic-missiles-battlecruisers/ |title=Russia's Putting Hypersonic Missiles on Its Battlecruisers |publisher=Popularmechanics.com |date=2016-04-26 |accessdate=2017-03-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Caroline Mortimer |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/royal-navy-new-queen-elizabeth-class-aircraft-carriers-not-stop-russia-zircon-missiles-hypersonic-a7651781.html |title=Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers cannot stop Russia's new hypersonic Zircon missiles |publisher=The Independent |date= |accessdate=2017-03-29}}</ref><ref name="nationalinterest30april17">[http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/britain-admits-russian-missiles-can-blow-its-new-aircraft-20407 Britain Admits that Russian Missiles Can Blow Its New Aircraft Carriers Out of the Water] - Nationalinterest.org, 30 April 2017</ref> In April 2017, it was revealed that the Zircon had reached a speed of {{convert|8|Mach|mph km/h km/s}} during a test.<ref>[http://tass.com/defense/941559 Russia’s hypersonic Zircon anti-ship missile reaches eight times speed of sound] - TASS.com, 15 April 2017</ref>

The Zircon will be incorporated into the [[Kirov-class battlecruiser]] [[Russian battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov|''Admiral Nakhimov'']] in 2018, and the [[Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy|''Pyotr Velikiy'']] in 2022. The ships will have their Mach 2.5, {{convert|630|km|mi nmi}}-range [[P-700 Granit]] [[anti-ship missile]]s replaced with 3S-14 [[vertical launch system]]s capable of holding [[P-800 Oniks]] and [[3M-54 Klub|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-160|Tu-160M2 Blackjack]] and [[PAK-DA]] bombers.<ref name="popularmechanics26april16"/><ref name="nationalinterest30april17"/><ref>[http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russias-lethal-hypersonic-zircon-cruise-missile-enter-15909 Russia’s Lethal Hypersonic Zircon Cruise Missile to Enter Production] - Nationalinterest.org, 22 April 2016</ref>