The first test The Russian Navy’s “Zircon” hypersonic missile from a nuclear submarine was successful, according to Russian news agency Sputnik, citing a statement released today by the Russian Defense Ministry.
“The Russian Navy first tested the Zircon hypersonic missile from the Severodvinsk nuclear submarine and the launch was carried out on a marine target in the waters of the Barents Sea,” the Russian Defense said in its statement.
An undeniable advantage
In mid-August, US strategic command commander Charles Richard, speaking at the annual space defense symposium, acknowledged that Russian hypersonic technology poses a serious challenge to NATO.
According to him, the “Zircon” missile system will provide the Russian Navy with an undeniable advantage in any possible armed naval conflict.
Richard added: “Our current ground and space sensing system may not be in able to cope with the detection and tracking of these missiles. Therefore, it must be recognized that Russia is the world leader in hypersonic technology. If our (Western) defense factories can’t, in one moment in which, unless they know how to resist, the ships of the fleets of NATO countries will be exposed to danger. “
Great concern to NATO
According to what was published by the “Sputnik” agency, some Western military and specialized analysts have repeatedly touched on the advantages of the “Zircon” missile, and as the news of its test successes is a source of great concern for NATO.
American non-nuclear copies
Eg, in earlier, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby described Russian hypersonic systems with possible nuclear equipment as a “destabilizing factor and a marked threat”. He added that these weapons are being developed in the United States only through non-nuclear versions.
Indisputable so far
Zircon has a speed record of over 10,000 kilometers per hour, or about Mach nine. And reach a radius of up to a thousand kilometers, via Earth. As for the sea, it reaches 30-40 km, where air resistance is low. The warhead weighs approximately 450 kilograms.
Igor Korotchenko, director of the Center for Analysis of International Arms Trade, explains that “the fleets of Western countries do not yet have air defense systems in able to intercept the Zircon “.
He adds: “The wide firing range of our (Russian) ships will allow us to destroy surface and ground targets almost without responding. The missile’s range is well beyond the range of the enemy’s defense.”
An imminent threat to aircraft carriers
The Zircon missile can be launched by the same launchers as the B-800 Onyx and Calbir anti-ship missiles. In theory, even the small missile ships of the “Buyan-M” and “Karakurt” projects could be carriers of this missile system. Therefore, even small ships will become a threat to the enemy aircraft carrier, because a single header hit below the waterline is enough to sink the floating airport.
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