NPOMash 3M22 Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile

sferrin said:
Wonder if they overfly GBI sites (or close enough).
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I am assuming countermeasures are needed for GBI sites. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3809/1 since it does mention Liana in here.

n 1987 KB Arsenal launched two experimental satellites named Plazma-A (officially announced as Cosmos 1818 and 1867) equipped with five-kilowatt thermionic reactors of Krasnaya Zvezda variously called TEU-5, Topol, and Topaz. A thermionic reactor, which has no moving parts, converts heat directly into electricity through the process of thermionic emission, the spontaneous ejection of electrons from a surface. The Plazma-A satellites operated in safer 800-kilometer orbits. One of the experimental payloads (called Epikur) was intended to produce plasma clouds making it possible to mask satellites from anti-satellite interceptors.[1] This was part of a much broader effort undertaken by the Soviet Union to protect its satellite fleet from ASAT attacks.[2]

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, work on space-based nuclear reactors came to a virtual standstill and several were even sold to the US.[3] KB Arsenal turned its attention to a project called Liana, comprising electronic intelligence satellites known as Lotos-S and military radar observation satellites called Pion-NKS. These are solar-powered satellites that share a common bus. After numerous delays the first Lotos-S satellite was orbited in 2009 and it was followed by three more in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Pion-NKS is still awaiting its first mission.

There is one article well where they mention using a black particle cloud or maneuvering capabilities that I will need to find later.

Edit: here is that one article of satellite self defense from plasma generators to other ideas like using black particles around the last paragraphs. https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3536/1
 
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At less than a thousand km altitude in a circular orbit, it would have to pass over most of the globe eventually unless its orbit was almost equatorial. I was under the impression these kinds of ISR satellites in low orbit were generally polar to cover a lot of territory. ESM satellites covering specific regions are generally GEO sync or Molniya orbits.
 
ria.ru

Источник сообщил о скором начале госиспытаний ракет "Циркон"

Госиспытания гиперзвуковых ракет "Циркон" начнутся до конца июля, сообщил РИА Новости источник в оборонно-промышленном комплексе. РИА Новости, 10.07.2021
ria.ru ria.ru

The source announced the imminent start of state tests of Zircon missiles.

MOSCOW, July 10-RIA Novosti. State tests of hypersonic missiles "Zircon" will begin before the end of July, a source in the military-industrial complex told RIA Novosti.

"As part of the launching state tests of the ship's missile system with the Zircon hypersonic missile, ground and sea targets will be fired from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate,"he said.
This shooting will be the first launch of the Zircon this year and the fourth - from the Admiral Gorshkov for all time.
Last year, according to the Defense Ministry, the frigate performed three missile launches: two at sea targets and one at a ground target.
It is planned to complete the tests this year.
 
ria.ru

Фрегат "Адмирал Горшков" успешно поразил цель ракетой "Циркон"

Российский фрегат "Адмирал Горшков" успешно выполнил стрельбу гиперзвуковым "Цирконом" по наземной цели, сообщили в Минобороны. РИА Новости, 19.07.2021
ria.ru ria.ru

The frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" successfully hit the target with the missile "Zircon", 19.07.2021.

"Admiral Gorshkov" successfully fired at a ground target with a hypersonic missile.

MOSCOW, July 19 - RIA Novosti. The Russian frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" successfully fired a hypersonic "Zircon" at a ground target, the Defense Ministry said.

The tests took place in the Arctic : the rocket was fired from the White Sea at a target in the Barents Sea, it covered more than 350 kilometers, the flight speed was about seven Machs. The tactical and technical characteristics of the weapon were confirmed.

The Zircon missiles are capable of speeds up to Mach nine (nine times the speed of sound, more than ten thousand kilometers per hour), the declared range is over a thousand kilometers.

They are planned to arm surface and submarine ships - both promising and under construction.
 
The video gives some interesting details. First time getting an idea of it's scramjet form.
 
tass.ru

Пуск "Циркона" на максимальную дальность выполнят в ближайшее время

Его осуществят с борта фрегата "Адмирал флота Советского Союза Горшков" Северного флота, сообщил в ходе МАКС-2021 источник в оборонно-промышленном комплексе
tass.ru tass.ru

The Zircon will be launched to the maximum range in the near future

"As part of the current flight design tests (LKI) of the hypersonic Zircon, in the near future, a product will be launched against a sea target at a maximum range," he said.

According to the source, the recent launch of the Zircon from a frigate on a ground target was also carried out during LKI. The interlocutor of the agency noted that the rocket demonstrated exceptional accuracy, "hitting right into the peg" (this is the name of the center of the circle denoting the target).
 
sferrin said:
TMA1 said:
The video gives some interesting details. First time getting an idea of it's scramjet form.
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Like what? Just looked like a standard cruise missile to me.
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Well I could be reading into things but I saw these images at russiadenseforum. One blurry closeup as it escapes the vls tube. Another image with that onix-like guidance cap that blows off after the missile ignites (can see the thing I'm talking about in he first image pretty well.

Can you see the asymmetry in shape of the zirkon on the first image? And on the second note the tip of the missile. It looks like you can almost faintly see the characteristic scramjet nose and intake shape.

https://imgur.com/vYNbyH1
View: https://i.imgur.com/vYNbyH1.png


https://imgur.com/Ioq0P3Z
View: https://i.imgur.com/Ioq0P3Z.png


Edit: messed up at first in importing the URL for images. Fixed.
 
Probably a dumb question but is Zircon propulsion a really and truly fully operational scramjet engined missile operating like the now defunct X-51 test article? Doesn’t this, worryingly, put us a decade behind with our technology maturation?
 
bobbymike said:
Probably a dumb question but is Zircon propulsion a really and truly fully operational scramjet engined missile operating like the now defunct X-51 test article? Doesn’t this, worryingly, put us a decade behind with our technology maturation?
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Zircon is not a operational scramjet missile just yet, but very close to reaching it. X-51 last time I checked did not have a warhead in it but just a demonstrator similar to the kholod project which was the 1st operational scramjet. They have test launched GZUR on the Tu-160 which is a scramjet missile and it appears they conduct aerial tests with the Gremlin missile in 2023 for not just bombers but fighter/stealth aircraft announcing its smaller than kinzhal. The Gremlin missile project was announced according to them to have started in November 2018 if that has anything to do with tass reporting hypersonic missiles in December 2018 for the Su-57, than they make announcements a year later that the ammunition is created,. If I had a personal opinion to be shared rather if some want to believe it or not the Klevok-D2 is a even more complex project in terms of performance than what was announced in December 2018 according to the patents of the missile done by Tula.

Dont know about a decade behind maybe HAWC might have the same size configuration of GZUR or smaller than GZUR or the same size/smaller than the Gremlin missile.
 
tequilashooter said:
bobbymike said:
Probably a dumb question but is Zircon propulsion a really and truly fully operational scramjet engined missile operating like the now defunct X-51 test article? Doesn’t this, worryingly, put us a decade behind with our technology maturation?
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Zircon is not a operational scramjet missile just yet, but very close to reaching it. X-51 last time I checked did not have a warhead in it
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I was strictly talking propulsion but thanks for your reply
 
tass.com

Russia completes flight trials of Tsirkon hypersonic missile from surface ships — source

The next series of Tsirkon trials is to begin in November
tass.com tass.com

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russia has completed flight tests of its advanced Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, with launches from a surface ship, namely the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, a source close to the Russian defense ministry has told TASS.

"The flight tests of Tsirkon, with launches from a coastal mount and Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov frigate have been successfully completed. Over 10 launches were performed, the latest of them in July," the source said.

According to the source, the next series of Tsirkon trials is to begin in November. Tests are expected to continue next year. After that, the delivery of the missiles to the Russian armed forces will begin.
 
aonestudio said:
tass.com

Russia completes flight trials of Tsirkon hypersonic missile from surface ships — source

The next series of Tsirkon trials is to begin in November
tass.com tass.com

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Russia has completed flight tests of its advanced Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, with launches from a surface ship, namely the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, a source close to the Russian defense ministry has told TASS.

"The flight tests of Tsirkon, with launches from a coastal mount and Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov frigate have been successfully completed. Over 10 launches were performed, the latest of them in July," the source said.

According to the source, the next series of Tsirkon trials is to begin in November. Tests are expected to continue next year. After that, the delivery of the missiles to the Russian armed forces will begin.
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This is how you get something into service. Not a test or two every five years.
 
There is however an enormous difference between russian development of uch weapons and the ones of China and above all USA and the West.
It can build them over an huge fundation of a whole array of supersonic air-breathing missiles continually developed in the course of decades, starting from earlier AA ones to the successive families of ASM like GRANIT or MOSKIT or KH-31 and in succession ONIKS and BHRAMOS, all of them made in the hundreds.
Now, starting from those they have just to made a step further while the others have to start practically by scratches as the latest weapon they used using such a propulsion were from the sixties and even the experiment they successively made were , to say the least, halfhearted (METEOR excluded but it used a different tech and have a way different use).
Even worse, they are now forced to cover such distance in just a single leap instead of through successive, incremental steps in a category of weapons that require the integration of a whole array of different front edge technologies into a single item.
I personally see just India to have (thank to Bhramos) some concrete possibility to develop a indigenous weapon in a reasonable time and this just if they can count on russian assistance.
 
I read somewhere that some of these hypersonic weapons dive
straight down at their targets making them difficult to shoot down.
Is this correct?
 
Ronny said:
Underwater Zircon launched is insanely scary
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True, but that is how deterrence works, and I think it is good news for all. This opens a new era of substrategic weapons with crippling capabilities that ultimately should help avoiding escalations between big powers from getting out of control.
 
LMFS said:
Ronny said:
Underwater Zircon launched is insanely scary
Click to expand...
True, but that is how deterrence works, and I think it is good news for all. This opens a new era of substrategic weapons with crippling capabilities that ultimately should help avoiding escalations between big powers from getting out of control.
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The notion of 24/48 nuclear-armed Zircons sitting off the coast of Virginia (in a SSGN) does not exactly warm one's heart.
 
Marcellogo said:
There is however an enormous difference between russian development of uch weapons and the ones of China and above all USA and the West.
It can build them over an huge fundation of a whole array of supersonic air-breathing missiles continually developed in the course of decades, starting from earlier AA ones to the successive families of ASM like GRANIT or MOSKIT or KH-31 and in succession ONIKS and BHRAMOS, all of them made in the hundreds.
Now, starting from those they have just to made a step further while the others have to start practically by scratches as the latest weapon they used using such a propulsion were from the sixties and even the experiment they successively made were , to say the least, halfhearted (METEOR excluded but it used a different tech and have a way different use).
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Exactly. Our engineers have more experience in high-subsonic cruise missiles - both rocket-powered and jet-powered - than, probably, all other world combined. So it's... natural, that Russia managed to get far ahead others in hypersonic race.
 
Ronny said:
Underwater Zircon launched is insanely scary
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Yep. With bombers and surface ships there are at least a possibility of being warned in time to do something. With underwater launch, combined with the speed of "Tsirkon", there is little to no warning; total surprise may be achieved.
 
muttly said:
I read somewhere that some of these hypersonic weapons dive
straight down at their targets making them difficult to shoot down.
Is this correct?
Click to expand...
The Raduga Kh-15S antishipping variant of the AS-16 "Kickback" (Soviet SRAM equivalent, though available with anti-radiation and anti-shipping seekers) did this decades ago. A good friend was involved in simulation & analysis of the Outer Air Battle at the time, and those missiles were real headaches for them.
 
markfward said:
muttly said:
I read somewhere that some of these hypersonic weapons dive
straight down at their targets making them difficult to shoot down.
Is this correct?
Click to expand...
The Raduga Kh-15S antishipping variant of the AS-16 "Kickback" (Soviet SRAM equivalent, though available with anti-radiation and anti-shipping seekers) did this decades ago. A good friend was involved in simulation & analysis of the Outer Air Battle at the time, and those missiles were real headaches for them.
Click to expand...
Intended to fly OVER Phoenix.
 
markfward said:
muttly said:
I read somewhere that some of these hypersonic weapons dive
straight down at their targets making them difficult to shoot down.
Is this correct?
Click to expand...
The Raduga Kh-15S antishipping variant of the AS-16 "Kickback" (Soviet SRAM equivalent, though available with anti-radiation and anti-shipping seekers) did this decades ago. A good friend was involved in simulation & analysis of the Outer Air Battle at the time, and those missiles were real headaches for them.
Click to expand...

Kh-22 did as well.
 
sferrin said:
The notion of 24/48 nuclear-armed Zircons sitting off the coast of Virginia (in a SSGN) does not exactly warm one's heart.
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I don't think they need to be nuclear tipped, those subs will serve as immediate, surgical retaliatory means of adjustable intensity, in case critical red lines are crossed, and so they plug gaps in the escalation balance between powers. That is the reason why not only the 885 are being commissioned as fast as possible, but also the 949 and the 971 are being returned to service on shortest notice and enabled to launch Tsirkons too, so that US can never be sure to be tracking all the possible carriers, even if they really devote a lot of resources to the task, like it seems they will be doing with more Arleigh Burke units being slated for ASW in the North Atlantic from now onwards.

Russia was clearly not amused about mk41 launchers being stationed few minutes flight away from the country's main cities and about many other moves by the West, and the statements by top officials about "taking the necessary steps in response" need to be put in perspective, considering developments like the ones we see now. A gun pressed against Russia's head meant a symmetrical measure needed to be taken rather sooner than later.

It may feel uncomfortable, but in the last 70+ years of relative peace between superpowers, outright fear of being destroyed was probably more important than just good will, so I think good old deterrence is, all considered, a good thing for us all. And these weapons allow to block escalation well before nuclear confrontation starts, which is even better.
 
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Also Shortest Notice is like the exact opposite of how they have been brought back, indeed the stagnation/decrease in number of platforms is why keeping an edge in AShMs is critical for RuNavy.
 

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