/Pogled.info/ All new frigates and corvettes will be armed with Zircon missiles, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Admiral Nikolay Evmenov announced recently. The hypersonic anti-ship complex entered the troops quite recently. What will the fleet become?
A volley of 48 rockets
The Ministry of Defense has high hopes for Zircon. Most of the tactical-technical characteristics of the cruise missile are classified. But some things are known. The speed is a record, more than ten thousand kilometers per hour, or about nine times the speed of sound. The range is a thousand kilometers. The height of the hiking section is 30-40 kilometers, where air resistance is low. The mass of the warhead is about 450 kilograms.
Western countries’ naval air defense systems are designed for subsonic and supersonic speeds. But they are absolutely powerless against hypersound. The long range will allow the Russian Navy to destroy surface and ground targets with near impunity without entering the affected area.
Important point: “Zircon” can launch from the same launchers as the P-800 “Onyx” anti-ship missiles, as well as “Caliber”. That is, it can be placed on ships with different displacements and purposes.
According to Evmenov, the frigates from project 22350 will be regular carriers of the “Zircons”. Now the Navy has two such pennants – “Admiral Gorshkov” and “Admiral Kasatonov”. Now they are building “Admiral Golovko”. Each on board has a universal ship firing system (USFS) for 16 cells. If fully loaded with Zircon, these three ships will be able to fire a salvo of 48 missiles.
From 2013 to 2020, five more ships were laid down. They are in various stages of construction.
With a total displacement of 5,400 tons, these frigates are the most technologically advanced in the Navy. Almost all naval innovations were tested on the bow – from radio-electronic equipment to anti-aircraft missile systems and artillery installations.
Management is extremely digital. In effect, these are floating computers ready to perform many tasks with little or no human intervention. The new on-board information and control system connects all the equipment in a single network, and the radio-electronic complex for revealing the surface and underwater situation allows the crew to detect the enemy at a considerable distance.
Battle tested
As for the corvettes, the pennants of the project 20385 will be able to shoot with “Zirkon”. There are two such “Gremyashchi” and “Provorny” in the ranks. Four are under construction.
This series is intended for the Pacific Fleet. Each one is armed with an eight-cell SCS. For self-defense and fighting air targets – anti-aircraft missile complex “Redut” with a range of up to 150 kilometers. Artillery is represented by 100 mm A-190 guns, and anti-submarine weapons are represented by four NK 330 mm torpedo tubes.
In addition – modern electronic and radio equipment, satellite communications. There is a Ka-27 multipurpose helicopter on board. The upgrade is made using stealth technology that reduces radar visibility.
Small missile boats of projects 21631 “Buyan-M” (ten in operation, two under construction), as well as 22800 “Karakurt” (four in operation, ten under construction) can also be referred to the class of corvettes. Their UCCS for eight cells are also suitable for “Zircon”. These “babies” with a displacement of 950 tons have already fired Kalibr cruise missiles at targets in Syria and Ukraine.
Speed bet
After the modernization, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser “Admiral Nakhimov” will acquire hypersonic technology. These weapons will appear on the submarines after 2025. The first regular carrier is the nuclear submarine “Perm” of the project 885M “Yasen-M” with a 32-cell UCSS.
However, large carriers are the exception rather than the rule. Judging by the list, relatively small ships are relied upon. Powerful long-range weapons can neutralize the advantages of a potential enemy. For example, a hit below the waterline is enough to capsize an aircraft carrier. For some time he will not be able to receive and launch aircraft.
“Zircons” have not yet been used in real combat conditions. But other hypersonic weapons have already been tested. And so, according to the Ministry of Defense, a supersonic “Onyx” hit a VSU facility in Odessa in early June. That is, an anti-ship missile was actually fired at a ground target. Effectiveness is ensured by a 450-kilogram warhead and high speed – such ammunition is extremely difficult to intercept.
The Russian Navy is the first navy in the world to mass-transition to hypersonic anti-ship missiles. China has similar programs, but no large-scale rearmament has been reported there. The Americans are also silent – they admit that they are in the position of catching up. Their prospects are pretty bleak.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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