Traveling nine times faster than the speed of sound, Zircon can hit targets up to 1,000 kilometers away
FILE PHOTO: A Russian frigate and a corvette are seen in the port-city of Vladivostok, Russia, on July 29, 2022. © Sputnik / Vitaly Ankov
All new Russian navy frigate and corvette class vessels will be equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles, Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov announced on Thursday. He did not, however, reveal the exact number of warships the navy expected to receive the weaponry.
“All the ships of the frigate class that are under construction or are being laid down will be armed with ‘Zircons’,” he told RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS) in Russia’s Kronstadt. “Corvettes [will get them] too,” he added.
The Zircon missiles were brought into service early this year. The projectiles are said to be much faster than any previously developed Russian anti-ship missiles and those used by NATO nations.
Back in 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted in his annual address to parliament that Zircon missiles would be able to hit targets at a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) while flying nine times faster than the speed of sound. That is supposedly more than nine times as fast as the Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles used by the US Navy, which are both subsonic.
Zircon can be used against any surface vessels, ranging from a frigate to an aircraft carrier, as well as against any land targets. The decision does not mean that Russia plans to abandon its Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles, which are also actively used by the navy, Yevmenov said. Both missiles have previously demonstrated “high reliability,” he added.
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A P-800 Onyx missile can travel at speeds of up to 2,700 km/h (1,700 mph) and hit warships of any class. It can engage its targets at a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) depending on the projectile’s trajectory. Although designed to be deployed against ships, it can be used against ground targets as well.
Earlier this week, Yevmenov said that the ongoing Russian military campaign in Ukraine indicated the need for Russia to enhance its navy “now.” All the best innovative ideas should be put into practice right away, the admiral argued, calling for the design and development phases to be shortened when it comes to new projects.
The navy chief also revealed that Russia’s defense industries planned on enhancing their shipbuilding capabilities. This year alone, the Russian Navy expects to receive 44 new ships, including both warships and support vessels.
Putin also said this week that a further strengthening of the Russian Armed Forces remained one of the country’s top priorities. Apart from the Zircon missiles, the navy is expected to get new Borei and Borei-A nuclear-capable submarines, which are equipped with 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles each as part of these efforts, the president added.
