The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy recently announced that all new Russian navy frigate and corvette class vessels would be equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles
About Zircon Missile:
- The 3M22 Zircon, or the SS-N-33, is a manoeuvring anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile developed in Russia.
- It can reach speeds of over 9,500 kilometres per hour (6,000 miles per hour), around nine times faster than the speed of sound.
- It’s a two-stage missile that uses solid fuel in the first stage and a scramjet motor in the second stage.Â
- It can accurately pinpoint targets at a range of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).
- Guidance System: Active and Passive Radar Seeker.
What is a hypersonic cruise missile?
- It is a type of missile that is designed to travel at extremely high speeds, typically over Mach 5 (5 times the speed of sound).
- They are powered by rocket engines and are typically equipped with guidance systems to help them navigate to their targets.
- They can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.