What is a hypersonic missile. Modern Zircon rocket: technical characteristics and features

The Zircon rocket reached 8 speeds of sound

The Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile reached eight speeds of sound during testing. TASS reports citing 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,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

The agency’s source also noted that Zircon missiles can be launched from 3S14 universal launchers, which are also used for Caliber and Onyx missiles. At the same time, the agency’s interlocutor did not specify when and from which platform the launch was carried out.

According to TASS sources, Zircon is undergoing state tests this year. Adoption is expected in 2018.

The same interlocutor noted that the latest Russian multi-purpose nuclear missiles will be armed with Zircon missiles. submarines(nuclear submarine) of the fifth generation of the Husky class, as well as the Russian heavy nuclear missile cruiser"Peter the Great".

For the first time, statements about the start of development of a complex with a sea-based Zircon hypersonic cruise missile appeared in the media in February 2011. Testing of the Zircon rocket began in March 2016. They passed from the ground launch complex, since, apparently, the sea carriers were not ready.

The Zircon missile is being developed by NPO Mashinostroeniya (Reutov, Moscow region) for the Russian Navy. It will implement the principle of so-called motor hypersound.
Hypersound is a speed above Mach 5. Mach 1 corresponds to the speed of sound - approximately 300 meters per second or 1 thousand 224 km/h.

Hypersonic missile "Zircon"

Zircon (3M22) is a Russian hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile that is part of the 3K22 Zircon complex. The fundamental difference of this missile is its significantly higher (8 Mach) flight speed, both in comparison with other Russian anti-ship missiles and with anti-ship missiles in service with other countries. At the beginning of 2017, there is no anti-aircraft missiles, capable of shooting down hypersonic targets. This missile is planned to replace the P-700 Granit heavy anti-ship missile. Zircon will also complement the latest Russian anti-ship missiles P-800 Oniks, Caliber (3M54), Kh-35 Uran.

Approximate tactical specifications:
— range 350-500 km.
— length 8-10 m.
— speed 8 Mach
— guidance: INS+ARLGLS

Possible carriers: TARKR "Admiral Nakhimov"; TARKR "Peter the Great" (during the modernization of 2019-2022); nuclear destroyers of Project 23560 “Leader”; Project 885M nuclear submarine "Yasen-M"; Fifth generation nuclear submarine "Husky" modified to destroy aircraft carrier strike groups.

In 2015 it became known that for hypersonic cruise missiles Russia has already created a fundamentally new fuel - Decilin-M, which makes it possible to increase the range of use of strategic cruise missiles by 250–300 km.

According to Dmitry Bulgakov, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, “the recipe has already been created, and the energy that is accumulated in this fuel will allow our products to exceed the speed of Mach 5.” The representative of the Ministry of Defense added that experts have developed a number of components using aluminum nanoparticles rocket fuel with density and energy intensity increased by almost 20%. This allows you to increase the payload.

Forecasts and comments

In September 2016, the general director of the Tactical missile weapons"(KTRV) Boris Obnosov said that hypersonic weapons may appear in Russia “at the beginning of the next decade.” “A number of projects are underway with the Foundation for Advanced Research at the Military-Industrial Commission. Believe me, we already have interesting results in this area,” said the head of KTRV and noted that when working on hypersonic projects, Russian scientists use the developments of the USSR - the research projects “Kholod” and “Kholod-2”.

He emphasized that “it would be simply impossible to make hypersonic weapons from scratch,” but today “technology has reached the required level.”

The difficulty, according to Obnosov, was that no one knew how speeds of Mach 8–10 would affect the rocket’s operation. “Under such conditions, plasma is formed at the surface of the rocket, temperature conditions over the top,” he said.

Comparison

In his article, military analyst, Doctor of Military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov writes: “A comparison of the performance characteristics of Zircon and Standard-6 shows that our missile falls on the border of the American missile defense zone in height and is almost twice as high as permissible for it maximum speed aerodynamic targets - 1,500 versus 800 meters per second. Conclusion: the American “Standard-6” cannot hit our “swallow”. In general, it can be stated that the Standard-6, the most effective missile defense system in the Western world, has scanty capabilities to defeat the Zircon.”

The researcher emphasizes that “hypersonic high-velocity missiles are also being intensively developed in the United States. But the Americans focused their main efforts on creating hypersonic missiles strategic purpose. There is no data yet on the development of anti-ship hypersonic missiles like the Zircon in the United States, at least not in the public domain. Therefore, we can assume that the Russian Federation’s superiority in this area will last for quite a long time - up to 10 years or more.”

China tested an ICBM equipped with a hypersonic gliding warhead detachable from its carrier back in 2014. Currently, in addition to the United States, Russia and China, India is also developing high-tech hypersonic strategic weapons.

Soviet X-90

X-90 (US Department of Defense classification: AS-X-21) – hypersonic cruise missile
Main tactical and technical characteristics:
— Weight = 15 t
— Speed, cruising = 4-5M
— Wing span = 6.8-7 m
— Length = 8-9 m
— Launch range = 3000-3500 km (RMD-2)
— Number/power of BB, pcs/ct = 2/200

According to the designers, the machine quickly heated up due to air resistance, which destroyed the device or rendered the mechanisms inside the body inoperative. To achieve hypersound, a ramjet rocket engine required hydrogen, or at least fuel consisting largely of hydrogen. And this is difficult to achieve technically, since hydrogen gas has a low density. Storing liquid hydrogen presented other insurmountable technical difficulties. Also, during a hypersonic flight, a plasma cloud appeared around the X-90, which burned the radio antennas, which led to the loss of controllability of the device.

These shortcomings have been corrected. The problem of cooling the body and hydrogen fuel was solved by using a mixture of kerosene and water as its components. After heating, it was fed into a special catalytic mini-reactor, in which an endothermic catalytic conversion reaction took place, as a result of which hydrogen fuel was produced. This process led to severe cooling of the device's body. The problem of burning radio antennas was also solved, for which the plasma cloud itself began to be used.

At the same time, the plasma cloud allowed the device not only to move in the atmosphere at a speed of 5 km per second, but also to do so in “broken” trajectories. In addition, the plasma cloud also created the effect of invisibility of the device for radars. The X-90 did not enter service; work on the missile was suspended back in 1992.

Almost unnoticed was a media report on March 17 about the start of testing of the Russian Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. However, the military expert community managed to evaluate it. Essentially, this means that the Russian military-industrial complex has reached the finish line in creating a superweapon that potential enemies will have nothing to oppose in the near future.

Hypersonic missile "Zircon". Characteristics

NPO Mashinostroeniya has been developing the Zircon cruise missile since 2011. Her appearance and the characteristics are strictly classified, which is understandable. It is only known that this is a sea-based missile with an estimated speed of Mach 5-6 and a flight range of 300-400 km. In the future, the speed can be increased to Mach 8.

According to some experts, the Zircon is essentially the same Russian-Indian supersonic BrahMos missile, only in a hypersonic version. If we continue its “pedigree” further, the new Zircon missile will turn out to be the “granddaughter” of the P-800 Onyx, on the basis of which the BrahMos was created.

By the way, in February last year, representatives of the Brahmos Aerospace company announced their readiness to create a hypersonic engine for a joint brainchild in the next 3-4 years.

First test results

The first tests of the Zircon rocket were carried out at the State Flight Test Center (Akhtubinsk) in 2012-2013. The long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22M3 was chosen to play the “role” of the carrier. Testing was continued 2 years later, but from a ground launcher.

The fact that Russia will soon have a new formidable weapon became clear after successful tests last year. Tests should be completed this year, and a year later Zircon is expected to go into mass production.

Problems encountered during development

For the Zircon anti-ship missile to become hypersonic, its creators had to work hard. One of the main problems is the monstrous overheating of the body during flight at hypersonic speed with the subsequent formation of a plasma cloud. As it turned out, one of the main missile systems, responsible for homing, is practically “blind” in it. It became obvious that Zircon would require a new generation of electronic components.

To accelerate the rocket, it was decided to use a ramjet rocket engine with supersonic combustion using fuel with increased energy intensity - “Decilin-M”. To solve the whole range of problems, the best Russian specialists in the field of aerodynamics, engine building, materials science and electronics were involved in the development of the product.

Prospects

Initially, the Zircons were designed as “aircraft carrier killers” - sea-based missiles that would be equipped with the 5th generation Husky nuclear submarines. However, it is not difficult to assume that over time they will be able to launch from surface ships, ground-based launchers and from strike aircraft.

Equipment Russian Army Zircon missiles can seriously affect the balance of forces. Firstly, they will become even more vulnerable US drums. Secondly, the unique high-speed and maneuverable characteristics of the domestic hypersonic missile will reduce the effectiveness of the American missile defense system to almost zero.

Hypersonic projects of the USA and other countries

However, one should not write off the main Russian competitors. Back in the early 2000s, during the presidency of George W. Bush, the development of the doctrine of rapid global impact, where the main focus was on hypersonic cruise missiles with a range of 6000 km.

As part of the doctrine, tests of the AHW missile are already underway, and next in line is the HTV-2 project to create a missile capable of reaching a speed of Mach 20 with a destruction range of 7,700 km. Last March, Lockheed Martin began developing the SR-72 hypersonic drone.

The hypersonic trend is the focus of China's military-industrial complex. So a year ago the hypersonic aircraft DF-ZF and Yu-71 were tested. Developments underway in India tactical missile surface-to-ground class Shaurya, reaching speeds of Mach 7. France is not far behind with its hypersonic air-to-ground cruise missile project ASN4G with nuclear warhead and speed 8 Mach.

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 they lose the necessary mechanical properties titanium alloys. 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 achievements 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.

To date, none of the existing types aircraft and cruise missiles could not reach speed = 3M at sea level.

The record holder among manned aircraft was the MiG-23. Thanks to its relatively small size, variable sweep wing and powerful R-29-300 engine, it was able to reach 1,700 km/h near the ground. More than anyone in the world!

Cruise missiles have shown several best result, but also failed to reach the “bar” of Mach 3. Among all the variety of anti-ship missile weapons, in the whole world only four anti-ship missiles can fly twice faster speed sound at sea level. Among them:

— ZM80 "Mosquito"(launch weight 4 tons, maximum speed at an altitude of 14 km - 2.8M, at sea level - 2M)

— ZM55 "Onyx"(launch weight 3 tons, maximum speed at an altitude of 14 km - 2.6M)

— ZM54 "Caliber"

- and, Russian-Indian "BrahMos"(launch weight 3 tons, design speed at low altitude 2M).

The promising “Caliber” came closest to the treasured 3M. Thanks to its multi-stage design, its detachable combat unit(which itself is the third stage) is capable of developing a speed of 2.9 M at the finish line. However, not for long - the separation and acceleration of the warhead is carried out in close proximity to the target. During the marching phase, the ZM54 flies at subsonic levels.

It is worth noting that there is no information about testing and testing the ZM54 separation algorithm in practice. Despite common name, the ZM54 missile has little in common with those “Calibers” that staged an unforgettable fireworks display in the sky over the Caspian Sea last fall (subsonic missile for attacks on land targets, index ZM14).

It can be stated that a rocket developing a speed of > 2M at low altitude is, in the literal sense, still only tomorrow.

You have already noticed that each of the three anti-ship missiles capable of developing 2M during the sustaining phase of flight (Moskit, Onyx, Brahmos) is distinguished by exceptional weight and size characteristics. The length is 8-10 meters, the launch mass is 7-8 times higher than that of subsonic anti-ship missiles. At the same time, their warheads are relatively small, accounting for about 8% of the launch mass of the rocket. And the flight range at low altitude barely reaches 100 km.

The possibility of air-launching these missiles remains questionable. Due to their too long length, “Mosquito” and “Brahmos” do not fit into the UVP; they require separate launchers on the decks of ships. As a result, the number of carriers of supersonic anti-ship missiles can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

At this point it is worth turning to the title topic of this article.

ZM22 "Zircon" is a hypersonic sword of the Russian Navy. Myth or reality?

The rocket that is talked about so much, but no one has even seen its outline. What will this superweapon look like? What are its capabilities? And the main question is how realistic are the plans to create such an anti-ship missile system at the modern technological level?

After reading the long introduction about the torment of the creators of supersonic aircraft and missiles, many of the readers probably had doubts about the realism of the existence of “Zircon”.

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 3S14 universal ship-based firing system is an 8-round below-deck vertical launcher for launching the entire range of Caliber family missiles. Max. The length of the transport and launch container with the missile is 8.9 meters. The starting weight limit is up to three tons. It is planned that ten similar modules (80 launch silos) will form the basis strike weapons on modernized nuclear-powered Orlans.

A promising superweapon or another unfulfilled promise? Doubts are in vain.

The appearance of a supersonic anti-ship missile capable of reaching a speed of 4.5 M in flight is the next logical step in improving 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.
The warhead is a high-explosive fragmentation unit 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 the hidden capabilities of shipborne air defense systems. Half a century ago, during the first firing of anti-aircraft missiles, an obvious discovery was made: at a line-of-sight range, missile defense systems would 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 one based on it? special remedy for hitting surface targets? The advantage will be high flight speed, 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.

What are the main design differences between missiles and anti-ship missiles?

Guidance system.

To detect targets over the horizon, anti-ship missiles require an active radar seeker.

It is worth noting that anti-aircraft missiles with ARGSN have been used in the world for a long time. The first of them (the European Aster) was put into service over ten years ago. A similar missile was created by the Americans (Standard-6). The domestic analogues are 9M96E and E2 - anti-aircraft missiles shipborne air defense system"Redoubt".

At the same time, detecting a 100-meter ship should be easier than targeting an actively maneuvering point-sized object (an airplane or missile).

Engine.

Most anti-aircraft missiles are equipped with solid fuel rocket engine, whose operating time is limited to seconds. The operating time of the 48N6E2 rocket propulsion engine is only 12 s, after which the rocket flies by inertia, controlled by aerodynamic rudders. As a rule, the flight range of missiles along a quasi-ballistic trajectory, with a marching section high in the stratosphere, does not exceed 200 km (the most “long-range”), which is quite enough to perform the tasks assigned to them.

Anti-ship weapons, on the contrary, are equipped with turbojet engines for long, tens of minutes, flight in dense layers of the atmosphere. At a much lower speed than is typical for anti-aircraft missiles.

The creators of the 4-mach Zircon will obviously have to abandon any turbojet or ramjet engines, using a proven technique with a powder turbojet engine.

The problem of increasing the flight range is solved by a multi-stage layout. For example - American rocket-The Standard-3 interceptor has a destruction range of 700 km, and the interception altitude is limited to low Earth orbit.

Standard-3 is a four-stage rocket (Mk.72 launch booster, two sustainer stages and a detachable kinetic interceptor with its own engines for trajectory correction). After separation of the third stage, the speed of the warhead reaches Mach 10!

It is noteworthy that the Standard-3 is a relatively light compact weapon, with a launch weight of ~1600 kg. The anti-missile missile is placed in a standard air defense cell on board any American destroyer.

The anti-missile missile does not have a warhead. The main and only destructive element is its fourth stage (infrared sensor, computer and set of engines), which crashes into the enemy at full speed.

Returning to the Zircon, the author does not see any fundamental obstacles to the fact that an anti-aircraft missile, which has a lower speed and a flatter trajectory than Standard-3, after passing the apogee, can safely return to the dense layers of the atmosphere. After which, detect and attack the target, falling like a star onto the deck of the ship.

The development and creation of hypersonic anti-ship missiles based on existing anti-aircraft missiles is the most optimal solution from the point of view of minimizing technical risks and financial costs.

A) firing at moving sea targets at a distance of over 500 km. Due to the high flight speed of the Zircon, its flight time will be reduced to 10-15 minutes. Which will automatically solve the problem of data obsolescence.

Previously, as now, anti-ship missiles are launched in the direction of the probable location of the target. By the time it arrives at the specified square, the target may already go beyond its boundaries, making it impossible for the missile's seeker to detect it.

B) from the previous paragraph it follows that it is possible to fire effectively at ultra-long distances, which will make the missile “ long hand” fleet. The ability to carry out operational strikes at enormous ranges. The reaction time of such a system is tens of times less than that of an aircraft carrier wing.

C) launching an attack from the zenith, along with the unexpectedly high speed of the missile’s flight (after braking in dense layers of the atmosphere, it will be about 2 M), will make most of the existing close-in defense systems ineffective (“Dirks”, “Goalkeepers”, RIM-116 etc.)

At the same time, the negative aspects will be:

1. Altitude flight path. Within a second after launch, the enemy will notice the missile launch and begin to prepare to repel the attack.

Speed ​​= 4.5M is not a panacea here. The characteristics of the domestic S-400 make it possible to intercept air targets flying at speeds of up to 10 Mach.

The new American missile system “Standard-6” has maximum height defeats 30 km. Last year, with its help, the longest-range interception of a military center was carried out in practice. maritime history(140+ kilometers). And the powerful radar and computing capabilities of Aegis allow destroyers to hit targets in low-Earth orbits.

2. The second problem is the weak warhead. Some will say that at such speeds you can do without it. But that's not true.

A Talos anti-aircraft missile without a warhead almost cut the target in half (exercises off the coast of California, 1968).

The Talos core stage weighed one and a half tons (more than any existing rocket) and was powered by a ramjet engine. When it hit the target, an unspent supply of kerosene detonated. Speed ​​at the moment of impact = 2M. The target was a WWII-era escort destroyer (1,100 tons), whose dimensions corresponded to a modern small missile ship.

Talos hitting a cruiser or destroyer (5,000 - 10,000 tons), logically, could not lead to serious consequences. There are many cases in maritime history when ships, having received numerous through holes from armor-piercing shells, remained in service. Thus, the American aircraft carrier “Kalinin Bay” in the battle near the island. Samar was pierced through 12 times.

The Zircon anti-ship missile needs a warhead. However, due to the need to ensure a speed of 4.5 M and limited weight and dimensions when placed in an airborne missile launcher, the mass of the warhead will be no more than 200 kg (estimated based on examples of existing missiles).