A Zircon hypersonic missile is launched from the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov of the Fleet of the Soviet Union” of the Russian Navy from the Barents Sea (Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense via AP, file)
Russia launched a hypersonic “Zircon” missile during an attack on Ukraine on February 7, the head of the Kiev Institute of Forensic Examinations, a scientific research body, said on Monday. Oleksandr Ruvin cited the preliminary analysis on his Telegram channel.
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Experts said Russian missiles have parts that can be used in several types of products at once, while others are components only for specific models. In this case, specific elements of the 3M22 Zircon missile were found.
“According to the first reports, there is indeed evidence of the use of a 3M22 Zircon missile. Proof of this are the marks on the pieces and fragments, the identification of the components and pieces and the characteristics of the corresponding type of weapon,” he said.
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According to the director of the institute, the missile was fired towards an area where there are no military installations. Civilian infrastructure and civilian population were affected.
The Zircon 3M22 is one of the most mythologized developments in the Russian military machine, and there is very little information about it, according to Ukrinform. It is known that in Russia, the Zircon is called a “promising hypersonic anti-naval missile.”
FILE PHOTO: The Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile (Russian Ministry of Defense/Handout via REUTERS)
The Russians began developing it after 2011 as a possible replacement for the P-700 Granit heavy anti-naval missiles developed in the 1970s and 1980s. Tests of the missile began in 2016. However, the main demonstration tests, with photos and videos, were carried out only in 2021, shortly before the invasion of Ukraine: in July, the Zircon missile was launched from the frigate of the Russian Navy Admiral Gorshkov, and in October, from the submarine Severodvinsk. The Russian military declared both tests successful, and later demonstrated the launch of these missiles several times, according to the Ukrainian media.
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Officially, Russia has not disclosed the characteristics of the Zircon or demonstrated it publicly, but at different times it has claimed the following properties of the missile:
-Range: according to various sources, from 400-600 km to 1000 km
-Flight altitude: 30-40 km
-Flight speed: up to Mach 8-9
-Weight of the combat head: approximately 300 or 400 kg
-Missile length: 8-10 m
Zircon missiles are launched from 3C-14 vertical launchers that can be mounted on warships, submarines and land mobile launchers. Zircons can probably also be launched from specially adapted stationary ground complexes, such as Object 100 in occupied Crimea.
(With information from Reuters)
2024-02-13 00:48:32
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