Moscow has successfully completed its tests of the “Zirkon” test, which Russian President Vladimir Putin described last week as “part of a new generation of unparalleled weapons systems”, reaching speeds up to 9 times the speed of sound..
The Admiral “Golovko” frigate will become the first Russian frigate to be armed with these high-capacity missiles, according to the Russian “TASS” agency..
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, hypersonic systems are “the backbone of Russia’s non-nuclear deterrent forces”.“.
Missile Features
The top speed of the “Zircon” reaches Mach 9, which is more than 10,000 km per hour, at an altitude of 20 km..
The main purpose of the “Zircon” missile is to target enemy ships of different classes, from frigates to aircraft carriers, and other nearby targets within the radius of destruction..
The hypersonic characteristics of this missile make it impossible to avoid it or detect its launch in time.
This type of hypersonic missile can also end the “age of aircraft carriers”, and limit the capabilities of a hypothetical opponent to organize anti-missile air defense within a radius of 1000 km, which is the launch range of this missile..
In the estimation of the Russian military expert, Igor Konalkov, the operational range of the “Zirkon” is up to 620 miles, or 1,000 km, pointing out that “if it is used by a submarine or a warship, it can target the United States and NATO countries.”
He added to “Sky News Arabia”: “This missile raises fears among those countries, due to its ability to reach them.”.
And he added, “The Tsirkon missile successfully passed the testing phase, in reaching the target according to all the criteria set for it and hitting it accurately, which means that it is amazing, dangerous and an addition to the Russian army.”“.
“winged missile”
Tsirkon coastal batteries are able to open a powerful umbrella over the Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and the Baltic region, with the cooperation of the S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles.“.
Military reports describe the new Russian missile as “beast and amazing.” Due to its tremendous maneuverability, and being “a winged missile capable of reaching speeds that other air defense systems around the world do not possess.”
It is also the first Russian hypersonic winged missile, capable of long-range aerodynamic flight while maneuvering in the dense layers of the atmosphere using the thrust of its own engine over the entire flight distance..
Also, “Zircon” can hit targets on the surface of the water and land with the same effectiveness.
This type of missile can carry nuclear warheads or a conventional warhead that launches at tremendous speeds to destroy targets with great accuracy, without the need for propellant fuel, but using only kinetic energy.
The American “Forty Five” website commented that hypersonic missiles can fly at more than 5 times the speed of sound, which is equivalent to 3,000 miles per hour, which complicates their interception..
He explained that the Russian “Zirkon” missile “is capable of flying at a speed of Mach 9, which is equivalent to about 7,000 miles per hour, which means that it is impossible to intercept it in any way.”
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