Zircon is a new scramjet-powered hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile, which can fly at a speed of 11000 km/h and strike targets even 620 miles away.
russian president Vladimir Putin By landing Russia’s ‘Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov’ frigate in the Atlantic Ocean, Russia has strategically indicated that it is not going to back down in the war against Ukraine. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the warship is embarking on a long voyage to combat threats in the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and maintain regional peace and stability in cooperation with friendly countries. battleship hypersonic missile ‘Zircon’ is equipped with. According to Putin, “there is no answer to this missile in any country in the world.” Meaning that this technology is not available anywhere else on earth.
What is Zircon Missile?
Introduced by Russia to the world in 2019 and launched on Putin’s 68th birthday in 2020, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zircon is a new scramjet-powered, hypersonic, anti-ship cruise missile that can reach speeds of Mach 9 and can strike targets 620 miles away with precision. The missile, capable of reaching a speed of more than 11,000 km per hour, is being fitted in Russian warships and submarines. Putin has previously announced that a ground-launched version of the missile is currently under development.
Admiral Gorshkov in the Atlantic
Admiral Gorshkov, approved for construction by Russia in 2003, is named after Sergei Gorshkov, a top navy admiral. He played a key role in making the Soviet Navy a global force during the Cold War. Gorshkov has twice been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest honor of the Soviet Union. The frigate was commissioned in 2018 after several trials. Stealth technology has been used in the frigate to avoid radar systems. Its primary strike weapon is a Caliber-NK cruise missile system.
Prior to her deployment to the Atlantic, Admiral Gorshkov has been equipped with Zircon missiles along with other missiles, air defense systems, torpedo weapons, artillery and Caliber complexes. According to the captain of the frigate, Igor Krokhmal, the warship is all set to bite the teeth of the enemies in the battlefield.
Attack on Western Defense Line
Unlike ballistic missiles, supersonic missiles do not travel outside the Earth’s atmosphere and have been extremely successful against critical targets such as aircraft carriers. At present, due to the line-of-sight limitations of the radar system, none of the enemy’s techniques to avoid this missile work. It becomes impossible for the enemy to stop this missile.
Zircon missiles can reach a speed of more than 11,000 km per hour i.e. it is nine times faster than the speed of sound. Due to their high speed and ability to change course if needed, it is impossible to destroy them by stopping them in mid-flight. Admiral Gorshkov, armed with Zircon missiles, showcases Russia’s latest advances in naval warfare. Putin claimed that no defense system in the world could overcome his new weapon to take the war against Ukraine to the next level.
‘Not a threat that cannot be countered’
In the current conflict, Russia first used hypersonic missiles named Kinjan in March from a MiG-31 aircraft on an army ammunition warehouse in the western Delytin village of Ukraine. The US claimed that it was able to track it in real time. After the deployment of Admiral Gorshkov by Russia, the US administration said that it is monitoring the movement of the frigate. America said that this is not a threat that cannot be countered.
According to the Washington Post, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Roger Cabinas said, “We will continue to regularly monitor its activities as we maintain awareness of our operating system. We do not comment on or speculate on the capabilities of any enemy weapons. The US Department of Defense is always ready at any time and any place to deter its adversaries and show the capability of the country’s national security.
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