A naval alert issued by Russia has raised Speculation about a possible test launch of the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile from the frigate Admiral Kasatonov.
what are the specifications of the Russian zircon missile
The Russian Zircon missile is a hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile currently being developed. While some details are not publicly disclosed, here are some of the known specifications:
- Speed: The missile is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 8 to Mach 9, which is about 6,100 to 6,900 miles per hour (9,800 to 11,100 kilometers per hour). This makes it one of the fastest missiles in the world.
- Range: The missile has an estimated range of about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
- Guidance system: The missile is guided by an inertial guidance system aided by satellite navigation.
- Warhead: The missile is equipped with a high-explosive, armor-piercing warhead that is designed to destroy large surface vessels.
- Launch Platform: The missile can be launched from a variety of platforms, including submarines, surface ships, and aircraft.
Australia: Russian naval alert and Speculation
The naval alert (NAVWARN) lasts from April 20 to 29 and covers 3,500 kilometers from the Barents Sea to the East Siberian Sea. This situation has led to the possibility that Russia is testing a Zircon hypersonic missile, whose objective would be to dissuade the United States from a direct confrontation.
The war is currently at a critical juncture in Bakhmut, with nuclear tension escalating between Russia and the West. Russia hopes the United States will continue to arm and weaken Ukraine as it seeks to seize control of remaining areas in breakaway Donbas and in Kherson.
A post on a pro-Kremlin Telegram group mentions that the naval alert could be related to tests of the Zircon hypersonic missile from the Admiral Kasatonov frigate.
Submarine: The frigate Admiral Kasatonov and its return to Russia
The Admiral Kasatonov-class frigate Admiral Gorshkov returned to Severomorsk, in Murmansk, on March 21. The vessel had been operating in the Mediterranean since early 2022. The Royal Navy warship HMS Portland escorted her as she headed out into the North Sea from the English Channel.
Dr. Marco Longbroek, a specialist in open-source intelligence and satellite imagery, released a NAVWARN map and suggested that the range of 3,500 kilometers is insufficient for a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
Longbroek concluded that the Zircon missile is the most likely to be tested during the dates mentioned in the naval alert.
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Ship: Zircon and previous naval exercises
The Zircon missile was expected to be launched during naval exercises between Russia, South Africa, and China in February, but later reports claimed it would not happen.
Navy Captain Oleg Gladkiy, leader of the Russian contingent, denied that the Zircon tests were part of the planned artillery exercises and assured that there were no hidden intentions in the exercises carried out.
The last live shot of the Zircon missile occurred in May of last year from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, managing to hit a target 1,000 kilometers away in the White Sea in the Arctic.
Challenges and limitations of the Zircon missile
Dr. Sidharth Kaushal, in a January 2023 article published in the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), mentioned that the Zircon missile presents challenges for high-value Western maritime assets due to its versatility, size, and speed.
Kaushal noted that reduced reaction times, due to the Zircon’s Mach 5-6 speed, could significantly decrease the number of missiles needed to overwhelm a surface task group’s air defenses.
Despite this, the article also addressed some limitations and challenges of the missile, such as its vulnerability to detection in the intermediate and terminal phases, the impact of ionized plasma on onboard sensors, and the trade-off between hypersonic speed, low observability and speed.
The Zircon missile: a challenge for anti-aircraft defenses
Dr. Kaushal concluded that despite its potential limitations, the Zircon missile presents a substantial challenge to airborne anti-aircraft defenses.
The current situation and the Russian naval alert have generated Speculation around the test of the 3M22 Zircon anti-ship hypersonic missile, the information of which has not yet been officially confirmed.
