He Russian Ministry of Defense has shown for the first time, in some detail, what the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile looks like by publishing a video of its launch from a Russian combat ship. This weapon, which until now Russia had shown in a more limited way and which has been used in Ukrainewas fired during recent exercises that its armed forces have carried out in the Mediterranean.
The published images are part of a video that documents these maneuvers. From various angles, you can see he hypersonic missile emerging from the 3S14 vertical launch system on the deck of a Russian Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class frigate.
Ru MoD released a somewhat better Zircon launch footage. pic.twitter.com/bxHa6DsFG7
— krakek (@krakek1) December 3, 2024
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the live-fire exercise took place on Tuesday in the eastern Mediterranean and included sea- and air-launched missiles. The frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko fired 3M22 Zircon missiles, while the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk launched a subsonic cruise missile Kalibr. On the Syrian coast, a coastal defense system Bastion fired a supersonic cruise missile Oniks. Another video from the ministry shows an air-to-surface ballistic missile Kinzhal being prepared under a fighter MiG-31Ialthough it is unclear if this was also released.
It is not the first video that Russia publishes of the 3M22 Zircon. Another previous one from October 2020, showed the first test launch of the Zircon against a naval targetalso from the Gorshkov but with less detail than in the recently published one. That was the year the weapon entered testing after it was announced by Vladimir Putin in 2018. The first combat deployment of the 3M22 Zircon occurred in January 2023, and In March 2024, Russia confirmed the use of the missile in active combat in Ukraine.
This is the 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile
The 3M22 Zircon, known by NATO as SS-N-33is a maneuverable anti-ship missile that operates at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 9 (11,000 km/h). This speed allows it to cover enormous distances in a few minutes, leaving enemy forces very little time to react.
The missile has an operational range of up to 1,000 kmdepending on its flight path. TO low altitude can cover around 500 kmwhile with a trajectory semiballistics can extend its reach to 1,000. His two-stage propulsion systemwhich combines a solid fuel booster for initial acceleration and a scramjet engine for sustained hypersonic flight, allows it to maintain its extraordinary speed and maneuverability.
Another notable characteristic of Zircon is its flexibility. Can transport both conventional and nuclear warheads and be launched from a variety of platforms including surface ships, submarines and land-based coastal launchers.
Russia plans to equip class submarines Yasen and Yasen-M with the Zircon and, in October 2021, claimed to have successfully launched it from a submarine for the first time. Regarding its use in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defense He stated that the Bastion coastal defense system had probably been used to launch the 2M22 Zircon.