"Zircon" reaches operating speed. "Zircon" reaches operating speed Eight Mach numbers
During testing, the Zircon hypersonic missile reached speeds eight times the speed of sound. The missile is designed to destroy ships; it will be equipped with new generation submarines.
Russia has tested the latest hypersonic cruise missile Zircon. According to the source, the results exceeded all expectations - the rocket reached eight speeds of sound. At the same time, Pentagon representatives previously stated that it was possible to achieve only 7 speeds of sound.
“During the tests of the missile, it was confirmed that its speed on the march reaches Mach 8,” a source in the defense-industrial complex reported to TASS.
However, the source did not specify when and from which platform the launch was carried out.
According to him, Zircon missiles can be launched from the same launchers, which are used for the Caliber and Onyx missiles.
Tests of the Zircon rocket sea-based started in March 2016. “The Zircon hypersonic missiles are already in the metal, and their testing has begun from the ground launch complex,” a senior defense official said at the time. According to him, the speed of the rocket should have been about 5-6 speeds of sound.
The same source explained that the latest Russian fifth-generation Husky-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines (NPSs), as well as the only Russian heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy in service, will be armed with Zircon missiles.
In September 2016, the head of the Tactical Corporation missile weapons“(KTRV) Boris Obnosov said that hypersonic weapons could appear in Russia “at the beginning of the next decade.” According to him, “it would be simply impossible to make hypersonic weapons from scratch,” but at the same time, “technology has reached the required level.” The key point, according to Obnosov, was that no one knew how speeds of Mach 8–10 would affect the operation of the rocket. “Under such conditions, plasma is formed at the surface of the rocket, temperature conditions over the top,” he said.
Flights of "three-mach" aircraft were accompanied by furious heating of the structure. The temperature of the edges of the air intakes and the leading edge of the wing reached 580-605 K, and the rest of the skin 470-500 K. The consequences of such heating are evidenced by the fact that already at a temperature of 370 K the organic glass used for glazing the cabins softens and the fuel begins to boil.
At 400 K, the strength of duralumin decreases; at 500 K, chemical decomposition of the working fluid in the hydraulic system and destruction of seals occurs. At 800 K, titanium alloys lose the necessary mechanical properties. At temperatures above 900 K, aluminum and magnesium melt, and heat-resistant steel loses its properties.
The flights were carried out in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20,000 meters in highly rarefied air. Achieving a speed of 3M at lower altitudes was not possible - the skin temperature would reach four-digit values.
Over the next half century, a number of measures have been proposed to combat the searing fury of atmospheric heating. Beryllium alloys and new ablative materials, composites based on boron and carbon fibers, plasma spraying of refractory coatings...
Despite the progress achieved, the thermal barrier still remains a serious obstacle on the path to hypersound. An obligatory obstacle, but not the only one.
Supersonic flight is extremely expensive in terms of required thrust and fuel consumption. And the level of complexity of this problem rapidly increases with decreasing flight altitude.
Zircon (3M22) is a promising Russian hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by JSC VPK NPO Mashinostroeniya, which is part of the 3K22 Zircon complex. The fundamental difference of this missile is its significantly higher (8 Mach) flight speed, both compared to other Russian anti-ship missiles and anti-ship missiles in service with other countries. At the beginning of 2017, there are practically no anti-aircraft missiles in the world capable of shooting down hypersonic targets. It is planned to replace the heavy anti-ship missile P-700 Granit with this missile. Zircon will also complement the latest Russian anti-ship missiles P-800 Oniks, Caliber (3M54), Kh-35 Uran.
Approximate performance characteristics:
range 350-500 km.
length 8-10 m.
speed ~8 Mach
guidance: INS+ARLGLS
Possible media:
TARKR "Admiral Nakhimov"
TARKR "Peter the Great" (during modernization 2019-2022)
nuclear destroyers of project 23560 "Leader"
nuclear submarine project 885M "Yasen-M"
Fifth generation nuclear submarine "Husky" (modification for destroying aircraft carrier strike groups)
ZM22 "Zircon" is a rocket that is talked about so much, but no one has even seen its outline.
Considering the joint development of Russian-Indian cruise missiles of the Brahmos family, the Zircon will most likely be similar to the BrahMos-II rocket under development, the prototype of which was first presented at AERO India in 2013.
According to open data, it was previously reported that the speed of the Zircon is Mach 4-6. However, experts note that usually the actual characteristics the latest developments deliberately underestimated.
A fiery arrow flying on the border of supersonic and hypersonic, capable of hitting naval targets at ranges of 500 kilometers or more. Whose dimensions do not exceed the established restrictions when placed in UKSK cells.
The emergence of a supersonic anti-ship missile capable of developing a speed of 4.5+M in flight is the next logical step in improvement missile weapons. It is curious that missiles with similar characteristics have been in service with the leading navies of the world for about 30 years. One index is enough to understand what we are talking about.
Anti-aircraft missile 48N6E2 as part of a naval anti-aircraft system S-300FM "Fort":
The length and diameter of the body are standard for all missiles of the S-300 family.
Length = 7.5 m, diameter of the rocket with folded wings = 0.519 m.
Launch weight 1.9 tons.
Warhead- high-explosive fragmentation weighing 180 kg.
The estimated range of destruction of the VC is up to 200 km.
Speed - up to 2100 m/s (SIX speeds of sound).
SAM 48N6E2 as part of the S-300PMU2 “Favorit” land complex
How justified is the comparison of anti-aircraft missiles with anti-ship missiles?
There are not many conceptual differences. The anti-aircraft 48N6E2 and the promising Zircon are guided missiles with all the ensuing consequences.
Sailors are well aware of hidden possibilities shipborne air defense systems. Half a century ago, during the first shootings anti-aircraft missiles, an obvious discovery was made: at line-of-sight range, missile defense systems will be the first to be used. They have a smaller warhead mass, but their reaction time is 5-10 times less compared to anti-ship missiles! This tactic was widely used in “skirmishes” at sea. The Yankees damaged an Iranian frigate with the Standard (1988). Russian sailors, with the help of the Osa, dealt with the Georgian boats.
The bottom line is that if a conventional missile defense system with a disabled proximity fuse can be used against ships, then why not create a special weapon based on it to destroy surface targets? The advantage will be high speed flight, at the border of hypersound.
The main disadvantage is the high-altitude flight profile, which makes the missile vulnerable to breaking through enemy air defenses.
Adoption is expected in 2018.
It has achieved serious success in developing a new type of weapon - hypersonic. The Zircon missile in recent successful tests exceeded the speed of sound 8 times, and this means that Russian cruisers will receive fundamentally new capabilities to combat American aircraft carriers.
By 2025, fundamentally new models will be delivered to the troops hypersonic weapons- such a statement was made the day before by representatives of the Ministry of Defense. The day before, it became known that the Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile Zircon reached a test speed corresponding to eight speeds of sound.
As the source who reported this noted, Zircon missiles can be launched from 3S14 universal launchers, which are also used for Caliber and Oniks missiles. The firing range of the Zircon, according to open data, will be about 400 kilometers.
Opportunities for new Russian weapons are seriously worrying the West. In early April, the British media noted: hypersonic missile"Zircon", along with supersonic missiles P-800 “Onyx”, submarines of the “Varshavyanka” project, S-300, S-400 air defense systems and the S-500 being developed are part of Russia’s “terrifying arsenal”.
What worries London is that rocket launchers, which are equipped with the newest British aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales will not be able to withstand the Zircon. Sea Ce tor installations are capable of intercepting missiles with a maximum speed of 3,700 km/h, while the Russian anti-ship missile, according to British estimates, can accelerate to 6,000-7,400 km/h. Royal Navy experts assumed that the Zircon's speed would be five to six times the speed of sound. But, as mentioned above, the Zircon demonstrated that the speed on the march exceeds the speed of sound by 8 times.
Anti-missiles equipped with American complexes Aegis ship-based missile defense systems are effective in intercepting targets whose speed does not exceed the speed of sound by three to four times. Accordingly, Aegis will clearly not be able to become an obstacle to the new Russian development.
A special report from the US Air Force, released last fall, said much the same thing: the United States is lagging behind Russia and China in the hypersonic weapons race.
Equipment for "Husky", "Ash" and "Peter the Great"
The first reports of rocket development date back to 2011. Then there were (unconfirmed) indications in the media that the Russian-Indian project of the BrahMos-2 anti-ship missile could become an export version of the Zircon. Presumably, the first tests of Zircon date back to 2012, and the first successful launch from a ground-based launch complex to March last year.
American edition National Interest a year ago it indicated: a rocket that is integral part Russian system"Zircon" 3K22 will be part of the armament of the nuclear cruiser "Peter the Great". American experts noted that when the cruiser returns to service in 2018, it will become the first ship Russian Navy, equipped with this new class of missiles.
The publication drew attention: judging by open data, the missile will also be used on fifth-generation nuclear submarines - the Husky class. The production of these nuclear submarines is planned to begin after 2020. However, in February, an informed source reported that the Zircon missile (intended not only for the promising Huskies, but also for the already operating nuclear submarines of the Yasen project) could be launched from a sea carrier for the first time in the spring.
At the same time, as National Interest experts admit, none of American projects to create similar weapons “has not come close to the stage of technological readiness.”
Eight Mach numbers
“The Zircon missile system is, first of all, an anti-ship complex,” military expert Alexey Leonkov explained to the VZGLYAD newspaper. Perhaps an option will be developed that would involve hitting targets on land, the source added.
The main advantage of Zircon is its speed characteristics. “During tests, the rocket demonstrated a speed of Mach 8 - this is approximately 9600 km/h,” the expert explained. Mach number is a number expressing the ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in environment; averaged corresponds to the speed of sound. For air at normal pressure And normal temperature, Mach 1 - approximately 1200 km/h.
For comparison, the operating speed of Russian Onyx anti-ship missiles is Mach 2. Experts estimate the operating speed of the Zircon at Mach 4-6 (8 is still a record figure).
Another advantage of the Zircon is that in the final part of the flight path this missile will be maneuverable, Leonkov points out. “This development “continues the tradition”, preserving the properties that distinguish previous models of anti-ship missiles - in the final phase the missile will maneuver, identifying the target, and hitting it,” the expert noted.
"Zircon" is a command rocket. She can work either alone or “in a team,” exchanging data and determining the goal,” Leonkov emphasizes.
The missile can easily overcome shipborne air defense systems that are in service with NATO countries, the expert notes. “The limitations on the air defense systems that are now on ships are that they work against targets that fly at speeds up to Mach 2.5. This is if we talk about missile systems,” explains Leonkov. - Artillery systems - for example, such as the Vulcan Phalanx - can work on targets that fly at speeds up to Mach 2, and then over a short range. Such artillery systems there are limitations on the range of action.”
Laser won't help
All this makes the Zircon missile system unique, the expert believes. An “antidote” has not been developed against it. Whether NATO countries will have it in the near future is a big question,” notes Leonkov.
To combat such goals, the alliance countries relied on a naval laser complex, the expert notes. “It was believed that the laser could shoot down such targets - high-speed and low-flying. But NATO developments did not go beyond testing, Leonkov emphasizes. - In addition, to ensure the operation of the laser requires large amounts of energy. So call it in a successful way countering such a missile as the Zircon is a stretch: maybe it will be possible to hit one Zircon, but if there are several missiles, then there won’t be enough time for a second shot.”
Corresponding Member Russian Academy rocket and artillery sciences, captain first rank Konstantin Sivkov, in a commentary to NSN, stated: the appearance of the Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile in Russian arsenal will sharply weaken the role of American aircraft carriers in naval warfare. “The role of American aircraft carrier forces specifically in naval warfare will be sharply weakened in favor of our heavy nuclear cruisers,” Sivkov believes.
The new Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile Zircon, developed by the Moscow-based Military Industrial Corporation NPO Mashinostroeniya, has reached eight speeds of sound in recent tests. TASS reports this with reference to a source in the military-industrial complex.
“During the tests of the rocket, it was confirmed that its speed on the march reaches Mach 8 (a number that takes into account the dependence of the speed of sound on the flight altitude),” the source said, without specifying when and from which platform the rocket was launched.
According to the specialist, Zircon missiles can be launched from 3S14 universal launchers, which are also used for Caliber and Onyx missiles. Official confirmation of this information about such test results of the rocket at this moment No.
This year, the Zircon rocket began undergoing state tests. After being put into service, it, in particular, should replenish the ammunition loads of the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruisers Pyotr Velikiy and Admiral Nakhimov. The firing range of the Zircon, according to open data, is about 400 kilometers; maximum speed missiles are indicated in the region of Mach 4-6.
In late March this year The British media actively discussed the characteristics of Zircon. Journalists pointed out that these weapons pose a threat to the British fleet and could change the balance of power in the world, reports.
Thus, the Mirror wrote that the new missile is capable of destroying the most modern ships British fleet "with one blow".
“Experts fear the Zircon missile could sink Britain's two new £6 billion aircraft carriers in one blow. Since the UK Navy does not have the means to protect ships from such missiles, aircraft carriers will have to stay out of their range - we're talking about about hundreds of kilometers. The planes will not have enough fuel to cover such distances, and since they are useless, it means there is no point in the carrier strike force itself,” the article said.
In turn, it warned that the rocket is capable of reaching speeds of up to 7.4 thousand kilometers per hour - six times faster speed sound.
"Modern means missile defense The British Navy is capable of shooting down shells that move at a speed of no higher than 3.7 thousand kilometers per hour, which means they are useless against the Zircon. Unstoppable Russian rocket could be a real disaster for British aircraft carriers,” the article explained.
Zircon was also called a missile that could “change the balance of power.”
“This deadly missile can be launched from land, sea and from a submarine. She will cover 250 kilometers in two and a half minutes, which is faster than speed sniper bullet", the article stated.
The first statements about the development of the complex in the media date back to February 2011. There was also an officially unconfirmed assumption that the export version of the Zircon missile was anti-missile system BrahMos-II. Until 2012, there was also a hypothesis that the complex was the successor to the Bolid complex developed by the same NPO Mashinostroeniya.
In 2011, a group of leading designers with Sergei Bunakov, Denis Vitushkin, Yuri Vorotyntsev and . At the same time, a preliminary design of the complex and, accordingly, preliminary designs of the complex’s subsystems were developed. Some of the development was carried out structural unit UPKB "Detal". Complete creation missile complex planned until 2020, reports the Military Russia portal.
Later, reports appeared in the media that the Zircon project was either closed or changed. There was no actual evidence of this assumption, but there is a possibility that it was the closure of work on the topic for technical reasons that could have prompted the emergence of a government proposal to merge the Raduga ICB with NPO Mashinostroyenia to organize work on hypersound.