During testing of the Zircon anti-ship hypersonic missile, a speed of 8 M was achieved. A source in the military-industrial complex reported this to TASS. Testing of the missile, which received the title of “aircraft carrier killer,” began last year. Serial release This weapon, which has no analogues in the world, is scheduled for 2018.
According to Konstantin Sivkov, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, the adoption of Zircon “will lead to the fact that the role of American aircraft carrier forces specifically in naval warfare will be sharply weakened in favor of our heavy nuclear cruisers, which are planned to be equipped with these missiles.” .
Russian expert in conversation with journalists National service News (NSN) said that new hypersonic missiles will be able to reliably overcome missile defense systems. “These missiles move along a “maneuver” trajectory, which means that it will be extremely difficult to ensure their destruction by anti-missiles aimed at destroying ballistic non-maneuvering targets,” Sivkov noted.
The West completely agrees with this “verdict” of NATO naval power. The British are the most dejected. Mail Online (the online version of the Daily Mail newspaper) quotes military expert Pete Sunderman as saying: “Defense against hypersonic missiles represents surface ships a huge problem. There is very little time to respond to this, and even if detected, the protective measures taken may be completely inadequate.”
Another military expert, Paul Harper, in The Sun, gives a rather original strategy for keeping the British fleet safe and sound: “With no way to defend against missiles like the Zircon, the ship will have to remain out of range, hundreds of miles out to sea.” . This essentially means the Royal Navy is withdrawing from combat.
At the same time, the British are analyzing the possibilities of countering Zircon not only with existing, but also with promising ship-based missile defense systems. Thus, the Sea Ceptor complex, which in the foreseeable future should enter service with warships, has a deliberately weak missile, the firing range of which is 25 km. The missile has a radar homing head. It weighs about a hundredweight and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 3 M. The Zircon, as past tests have shown, has a speed almost 3 times higher. Experts believe that the Sea Ceptor anti-missile missile will be tough on targets whose speed does not exceed 3.5 Mach.
But the situation is further aggravated by the fact that radar seekers are capable of directing an anti-missile missile at a target whose speed does not exceed 5 Mach. For example, the Granit anti-ship missile. “Zircon” flies in a cloud of plasma, from which radar waves are not reflected.
The situation in the American Navy is no better. The magazine National Interest comes out with the following forecast: “These missiles could turn America’s superships into multi-billion-dollar cemeteries for thousands of sailors.”
Missile defense of aircraft carriers is carried out by 1-2 guided missile ships with Aegis missile defense systems installed on them. That is, this is the “Standard” air defense system with SM-2 and SM-3 missiles. The maximum speed of the best American anti-missile missile, like the British one, is 3 M. But at the same time, the ability to work with high-speed targets is higher. Aegis tests have shown that the SM-3 missile can shoot down ballistic missiles medium range, as well as satellites in low orbits. At the same time, the anti-missile missile is equipped with an infrared homing head and is capable of maneuvering. However, maneuvering is sufficiently effective only when intercepting targets whose speed does not exceed 3M-4M. Already when meeting with the Granit anti-ship missile system, the Aegis may have certain difficulties. The situation will become even worse as a result of a massive attack by “Granites”. The fact is that this Russian anti-ship missile has group intelligence. In flight, the missiles distribute targets among themselves, choosing the most important ones for attack. When a missile is hit, other Granites take over its target. At the same time, the group constantly evades anti-missiles and activates electronic countermeasures.
The US Navy command believes that an aircraft carrier can be destroyed only if at least 10 anti-ship missiles hit it. However, this myth was debunked in 2000, when a motorboat with a terrorist on board torpedoed the destroyer USS Cole in the port of Aden. Only about 200 kilograms of explosives exploded. Moreover, the explosion was undirected. This was enough for a hole measuring 9x12 meters to form in the destroyer’s hull. "Cole" would have sunk if it had been on the open sea; in the port all available life-saving equipment was thrown to its aid.
Yes, an aircraft carrier is, of course, more impressive than a destroyer. If we compare their displacements, then it is 11 times. But the Granit missile is much more serious than a terrorist boat. Her combat unit weighs almost 800 kilograms. So the Americans would need to reduce the number of hits from anti-ship missiles to ensure the destruction of the aircraft carrier.
In the case of hypersonic targets, the Aegis system calculates the missile’s flight trajectory and finds its point of convergence with the anti-missile trajectory. And he shoots. With Zircon, such a trick will not work, because it is actively maneuvering hypersonic missile. Previously, when it was believed that its speed reached 6 Machs, Western experts considered interception impossible. Now that the speed has been clarified to Mach 8, the despondency of American strategists has increased.
The Zircon missile is classified. It is only known that its range reaches 400 kilometers. The speed, as already mentioned, is 8 M. Or even more - tests continue, and the speed may well increase.
The hypersonic missile is supposed to be placed on two heavy nuclear missile cruisers project 1144 "Orlan" - on "Peter the Great" and "Admiral Nakhimov". "Zircon" will replace the anti-ship missiles "Granit" and "Onyx". Another hyperrocket carrier is planned - promising Submarine fifth generation “Husky”, which is currently being developed by the St. Petersburg Marine Engineering Bureau.
A hypersonic missile could already be in service with the Russian Navy if defense industry was not crippled by the crisis of the late 80s - 90s. In the 70s, research work was carried out at the Raduga IKB, and then they began to carry out research and development work to create the X-90 rocket. In the late 80s, a speed of 4 M was achieved. But in 1992, the project was closed due to the cessation of its funding.
Designers have advanced even further Central Institute aviation engine building, where a flying laboratory was created to test a hypersonic ramjet engine. This engine achieved a speed of 6.5 M. But this project was also canceled.
Russia is also testing another hypersonic missile. True, this is not a rocket “in its pure form”, but a warhead of the promising Sarmat ICBM. After separation from the launch vehicle, the warhead makes a long, low-altitude flight at hypersonic speed. And at the same time it maneuvers, not allowing enemy missile defense systems to even dream of the possibility of interception. This warhead has the code name “product 4202”. According to various estimates, its speed ranges from 9 M to 12 M. This is a development of the same Raduga ICB, which is part of the Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation.
The Americans are also trying to create something similar. However, according to the magazine The National Interest, “not one of the American projects to create a hypersonic missile has come close to the stage of technological readiness.” Thus, the ambitious Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) project envisages the creation of a hypermissile with a speed of about 12 M and a range exceeding 6000 kilometers. Two tests were carried out this year. During the first test, the speed was recorded, according to various sources, from 5 M to 8 M. During the second test, the rocket exploded. It should be taken into account that the AHW, unlike the Zircon and Product 4202, does not maneuver in flight.
There is a slight panic in the Pentagon. Russian military and engineers successfully tested a new anti-ship hypersonic missile cruise missile"Zircon". What is a hypersonic missile? We all know what a supersonic aircraft is. This plane is flying faster speed sound. Faster is about 1200 kilometers per hour. A hypersonic missile flies five, eight, fifteen times faster than the speed of sound. Let's imagine that we need to hit an enemy ship hundreds of kilometers away. Such a missile will cover the distance from launch to target in a few minutes. And no means of defense will simply have time to do anything.
Movement at such speeds is fundamentally different from movement at subsonic speeds - these are ordinary airplanes that we fly on, and even supersonic ones. There are many complex scientific problems that need to be solved. And our scientists solve them. We fundamentally overtook the Americans in this race. And the hypersonic race is the most advanced edge in the development of new weapons. By the way, the third participant is China. And he also has success. China has long been no longer a producer of cheap fakes.
In the future - the development of orbital hypersonic aircraft and orbital platforms. American system missile defense, which they have been developing for decades, will not be able to withstand these weapons. The challenges facing the Russian military-industrial complex were discussed this week at meetings with President Putin.
IN last years Russian army increasingly upsets his own, as they say, probable enemy. Then suddenly Russia will have in its arsenal Kalibr cruise missiles capable of hitting targets in the Middle East even from the Caspian Sea, or it will turn out that NATO tanks are instantly and permanently outdated as soon as they became known specifications our new tank "Armata". Or our powerful military group will appear in the Arctic with the latest weapons. And so on. In short, Western military attaches at the recent parade in Moscow had plenty of reasons to think. The program for the rearmament of our army and navy, designed until 2020, is bearing fruit.
“The planned activities will not only equip the army and navy with modern weapons and equipment, they will make it possible to create a scientific and technical basis for the development of fundamentally new types of weapons,” the Russian president noted.
Vladimir Putin spoke about this in Sochi at a meeting on defense. Meanwhile, new equipment continued to arrive into the troops. Take aviation, for example. This year alone, the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy will receive about 160 new helicopters and aircraft, including the modernized Sukhoi Design Bureau Su-30SM fighter. It successfully combines the capabilities of a fighter, attack aircraft and bomber, can control aviation operations and operate over the sea, lead 16 targets and attack four of them simultaneously. Its maneuverability is legendary. This is what those who, by profession, must squeeze out of this aircraft everything it is capable of say about the car.
“The first time I saw how the Su-30SM maneuvers in the air, my first thought immediately: in principle, the plane cannot fly like that. But the experience of operating the machine again shows that it can. Despite the fact that it is heavier than the Su-27, it is much easier to control,” says the flight commander of the aviation group aerobatics“Russian Knights” Vladimir Kochetov.
Meanwhile, completely new Su-35 air vehicles and a fundamentally new fifth-generation multi-role fighter T-50 are on the way. In the nine years since the beginning of the army and navy rearmament program, Russia has already acquired a fundamentally new Armed Forces. For comparison, the data is for only two years, from 2015 to 2017. During this time the share new technology V Ground forces increased from 32% to 42%, Airborne Forces - from 40% to 58%. In VKS – from 33% to 68%. In the navy, from 50% to 55% of new equipment. In Strategic missile forces– from 50% to 72%.
“It must be borne in mind that there is much more to be done. I mean the development of the domestic electronic component base, first of all, the implementation of full contracts life cycle military products, as well as synchronizing the timing of preparation of the necessary infrastructure with the supply of new weapons,” Vladimir Putin noted.
Russian military designers recently shocked Western militaries by announcing the successful test of the Zircon anti-ship cruise missile. This secret project, therefore its image and technical data are based only on the assumptions of experts.
During testing, this hypersonic missile broke all speed records of its kind - it reached eight speeds of sound, or, more simply, it flew faster than 2.5 kilometers per second. It's faster than a bullet. If it reaches the estimated range of 1,000 kilometers, it will call into question the entire American doctrine of global transmission of power through carrier strike groups. The range of US carrier-based aircraft is about 800 kilometers.
“Simply put, with the advent of Zircon hypersonic missiles on our cruisers, frigates and even corvettes, it turns out that even a corvette with an eight-missile salvo is capable of causing serious damage to the American aircraft carrier formation. And the frigate, even in a single form, if it came up, in a single quantity. If it comes within range of a Zircon salvo, then it is capable of destroying an aircraft carrier multipurpose group of the United States of America,” explains corresponding member Russian Academy rocket and artillery sciences, doctor of military sciences Konstantin Sivkov.
The American publication National Interest admitted that not a single fleet has any means of protection against Zircon today.
“Such weapons, combined with means of detecting targets in open ocean could turn aircraft carriers into billion-dollar graves for thousands of American sailors,” the publication writes.
The upper stage puts the Zircon into the desired orbit, after which it accelerates to its maximum speed and moves towards the target at an altitude of 30-40 kilometers, where air density is minimal. Radars simply don’t see it at this speed, anti-aircraft missile systems useless. But, according to experts, the overloads are gigantic, the rocket is moving in a cloud of plasma. We need super-strong materials and overload-resistant electronics.
“Russia, including relying on the scientific and technical reserve that was created in Soviet time, these problems have, in principle, already been fundamentally solved. This is a level of science, technology, materials science, and control systems that no one in the world has yet reached, you know?” - speaks Chief Editor magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland", military expert, reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky.
Several countries are engaged in similar developments, but, according to experts, even American designers will need ten years to even get close to the characteristics of Zircon. There is no protection from it not only because enormous speed, but also because in flight it maneuvers along an arbitrary trajectory, and if it hits, it is almost guaranteed to destroy the target. Here's what experts say about it in the British Daily Mail: “There is so little time to react that even if detected, existing protective measures may be completely useless. Even if the rocket is broken or exploded by a melee weapon, the fragments will have so much kinetic energy"that the ship will still be badly damaged."
An entire meeting was devoted to breakthrough technologies and promising developments in the field of defense, which was held in Sochi on Friday, May 19.
“I would like to emphasize that the intellectual potential of the entire scientific community must be fully involved in ensuring the defense capability of the state. I mean, first of all, scientists, designers, engineers working on the creation the latest complexes and systems. Those who will provide the Armed Forces with the ability to adequately respond to existing and possible future challenges and risks to Russia’s military security,” the president said in his speech.
Naturally, the breakthrough in the field of hypersonic weapons also affected the prospects of our nuclear missile forces. A few months ago Russia held successful tests strategic missile codenamed Yu-71. According to experts, this secret weapon is based on the same principles as the Zircon missile - it moves at hypersonic speed, and the separated warhead continuously maneuvers. With only one difference - the Yu-71 product launched from the Dombrovsky training ground near Orenburg and hit a target at the Kura training ground six thousand kilometers away. Experts believe that the rocket covered this distance in just 20 minutes. It is expected that in the future such developments will replace the current Russian strategic nuclear missiles. In a word, the long-standing dream of the West to speak with Russia “from a position of strength” still does not come true and is not coming true. And although no one has given up such fantasies, today Russia clearly demonstrates that it is not even worth trying.
Today, the most realistic image of “Zircon” remains a photograph of an experimental hypersonic vehicle X-51A Waveraider.
It is the photograph of the Waverider under the wing of the carrier (B-52) that is presented in the domestic media as the latest hypersonic missile of the Russian Navy. The editors are not confused by either the English-language source, or even the presence of the Air Force Research, Boeing and DARPA emblems on the side surface of the aircraft fuselage. However, as we have seen in light of recent events, you can simply attach screenshots from the game. The main thing is entertainment. Out of solidarity with the workers of the pen and keyboard, I had to erase the name of the source in which this misunderstanding was published.
Unlike superheroes computer games, “Waverider” exists on this side of the screen. The device was created within the framework of the “prompt global strike” concept, aimed at reducing the flight time of cruise missiles. Judging by latest program, i.e. After silence for 5 years, another “hypersonic experiment” went to the Air Force Museum.
In general, the X-51A project somehow suspiciously stalled.
The reasons for the suspension of research can be guessed based on the known difficulties associated with aerodynamic flights at a speed of 5 Mach. First on the list is the inevitable “thermal barrier”, ready to incinerate the daredevils who challenge the speed:
On its last flight, in May 2013, the Waverider lasted about six minutes at hypersonic speed, setting a record for hypersonic ramjet-powered aircraft. During this time, the model was able to reach a speed corresponding to Mach number 5.1 and flew over Pacific Ocean distance 426 km.
Why do I say “model”? Because the Waverider was not even a prototype in the usual sense of the word. Its layout, in principle, excluded the presence of a warhead or guidance systems that are equipped with modern cruise missiles. Small-sized (length without accelerator - 4 m) radio-controlled model, shaped like a chisel. The only task of the Waverider was to reach 5M and maintain at this speed for at least a couple of minutes.
What is the obvious conclusion from the test results? Existing technologies are clearly not enough to make the fairy tale about “hypersonic weapons” a reality.
Another famous project, the little X-43, quickly accelerated to nine speeds of sound due to the 20-ton solid-fuel Pegasus launch vehicle. After which his own ramjet was launched.
After separation from the upper stage, the fiery extravaganza continued for another 11 seconds, and then the charred wreckage of the X-43A fell into the ocean. Just two launches, a world speed record for an aircraft in the atmosphere, an incredible 9.6 M. At least a second to dream!
The record remained a record. Judging by the 13-year hiatus, the X-43 program has shown very great promise.
Accelerate and get charred
That's all it allows modern technology in the field of hypersound.
We are talking about flights in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20-30 km using aerodynamic flight principles. Those. when using load-bearing surfaces (wings) to create lift.
There are many technical means, developing hypersonic speeds in the upper layers of the atmosphere, at altitudes of 50 km or more. All of them relate to the field of rocket technology.
At an altitude of 80 kilometers Atmosphere pressure 100,000 times lower than at the surface of the earth. This to a certain extent eliminates the danger of a “thermal barrier” when moving at hypersonic speed. On the other hand, it makes it impossible to work jet engines receiving the oxidizer from the oncoming air flow. Moreover, even such high speeds are not capable of creating lift in a rarefied environment.
In this case - only ballistic trajectory. TTRD or two-component liquid propellant rocket engine.
However, 80 km is clearly too much. Based known results tests of hypersonic aircraft equipped with ramjet engines, the maximum flight altitude for them is in the region of 30-35 km. At high altitudes, stable aerodynamic flight is practically impossible.
There are low-speed high-altitude aircraft with a large wing span: U-2, M-55 “Geophysics”, UAV “Zephyr”, capable of reaching altitudes of 20+ km. As you may have guessed, the trick is achieved thanks to the disproportionately large wing. But the wing area cannot grow indefinitely. While with increasing altitude, the density of the atmosphere continues to decrease exponentially.
But you can increase your flight speed! What will it lead to? At an altitude of 100 km (Karman line), the speed required to create lift will exceed the first cosmic speed. Which will make the very use of aerodynamics meaningless.
At an altitude of 30 km, the wings still cling to the thin air. But there is a “thermal barrier” ahead, ready to burn the hypersonic aircraft in a matter of minutes.
But the wings melted in the heat,
And in the sea, forever blue,
The madman fell from a height.
Well, the introduction, as always, was delayed. Let's see how the domestic project “Icarus” looks against the background of foreign attempts to break through the speed barrier.
Interspecific missile system with hypersonic missile/anti-ship missile operational purpose ZM-22 “Zircon”.
What is known about Zircon today?
1. Equipped with a launch accelerator and a sustainer ramjet.
2. During testing, he was able to reach a speed corresponding to Mach 8, which was 60% higher than the design speed of Mach 5.
3. Flight range estimates vary between 400...1000 km.
4. The missile is equipped with a warhead weighing 400 kg.
5. The weight and dimensions of the Zircon correspond to the Caliber missile launcher, which ensures storage and launch from a standard UKSK launch cell.
The infotainment format of the article prevents the emergence of any distant forecasts and conclusions. The only thing we can say is at this stage: the declared performance characteristics of the Zircon significantly diverge from the published tests of Western aircraft for similar purposes.
Against the backdrop of the successes of Zircon, one can only be surprised at the crookedness and mediocrity of Boeing’s designers and Management promising projects(DARPA).
The launch weight of the X-51A Waverider (1814 kg dry weight + 120 kg fuel) is approaching upper limit masses of the missile launchers of the “Caliber” family.
However, the Waverider does not have a warhead. And it has a much lower flight speed.
Experimental hypersonic aircraft are launched from a B-52 bomber at an altitude of 13,000 m with a carrier flight speed of 800-900 km/h. Under such conditions, already at the moment of separation from the carrier they have a significant reserve of potential and kinetic energy. This makes it possible to reduce the power requirements (and, therefore, save on weight) of the starat accelerator. *
* A ramjet engine is inoperable at subsonic levels, so even when launched from under the wing of a flying aircraft, a hypersonic missile requires additional acceleration.
Unlike foreign air-launched missile launchers, Zircon is being created to equip Navy ships. This means launching from the surface. And flight through dense layers of air (75% of the mass of the atmosphere is concentrated within 10,000 m).
Given these circumstances, Zircon should have a much more massive launch accelerator.
For comparison: when creating the air-launched anti-ship missile "Brahmos-A" due to the abandonment of the launch accelerator, the launch mass of the rocket was reduced by 500 kg (2.5 tons - versus 3 tons for the ship-based version).
In general, as I have already said, I do not intend to draw any loud conclusions. In my personal opinion, the declared characteristics of the Zircon in the form of a compact 6-mach cruise missile with a ramjet are far from reality. The developers of Zircon themselves (NPO Mashinostroeniya) also do not comment on the development of a promising anti-ship missile system and, despite international interest and media hype, have not yet presented even its layout.
Today, “Zircon” flies only in the media space, burning enemy aircraft carriers and aircraft carrier fleets. While the Khibiny are burning out the electronic components of the destroyers.
Firetail Devil
Today's story will not be complete without the X-32 missile. Briefly it (from the point of view of the media) is as follows.
In 1968, the “stupid” creators of the X-22 anti-ship missile system set the maximum flight altitude at 20-25 km. Modern “smart” designers took and launched exactly the same rocket to an altitude of 40-45 km. That's right, because why fly low when you can fly twice as high.
They doubled the ceiling without making exactly any changes to the aerodynamic appearance of the anti-ship missile: the same fuselage, the same wing, no external differences.
To increase the degree of intrigue, the air pressure at an altitude of 42 km is 17 times lower than at an altitude of 22 km.
According to Zhukovsky's theorem, the magnitude of the lift force is directly proportional to a) the density of the medium b) the speed of air flow and c) circulation air flow. So, attention, focus: the speed increased only 1.5 times, the wing parameters remained the same, the air became 17 times thinner. But the lifting force remained at the same level!
No, dear ones, no jokes. The Kh-32 missile exists. There is even a carrier allocated for it - the supersonic missile carrier Tu-22M3M (serial number 4898649, board 9804), whose on-board equipment was adapted for the modernized rocket.
The solution to this problem is that the real flight profile of the X-32 differs markedly from the generally accepted fairy tale (or science fiction- as you like). By reducing the mass of the warhead and increasing fuel reserves, as well as making changes to the rocket engine (details are classified), it became possible to increase the maximum flight altitude along the ballistic curve from 22 to 40 km.
This flight profile is not very attractive when overcoming air defense/missile defense of ship formations. On maximum height the missile is located for only an instant, followed by an inevitable descent along a quasi-ballistic curve. Those. most flight time, the X-32, like its predecessor, is in the affected area of shipborne air defense systems.
However, who is interested in these boring details!
Let's better evaluate the results of the Zircon hitting the flight deck of the newest Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier.
Almost unnoticed was a media report on March 17 about the start of testing of the Russian Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. However, the military expert community managed to evaluate it. Essentially, this means that the Russian military-industrial complex has reached the finish line in creating a superweapon that potential enemies will not soon there will be nothing to oppose.
Hypersonic missile "Zircon". Characteristics
NPO Mashinostroeniya has been developing the Zircon cruise missile since 2011. Her appearance and the characteristics are strictly classified, which is understandable. It is only known that this is a sea-based missile with an estimated speed of Mach 5-6 and a flight range of 300-400 km. In the future, the speed can be increased to Mach 8.
According to some experts, the Zircon is essentially the same Russian-Indian supersonic BrahMos missile, only in a hypersonic version. If we continue to continue her “pedigree”, then new rocket“Zircon” will turn out to be the “granddaughter” of the P-800 “Onyx”, on the basis of which the “BrahMos” was created.
By the way, in February last year, representatives of the Brahmos Aerospace company announced their readiness to create a hypersonic engine for a joint brainchild in the next 3-4 years.
First test results
The first tests of the Zircon rocket were carried out at the State Flight Test Center (Akhtubinsk) in 2012-2013. The long-range supersonic bomber Tu-22M3 was chosen to play the “role” of the carrier. Testing was continued 2 years later, but from a ground launcher.
That Russia will soon have something new formidable weapon it became clear after successful tests last year. Tests should be completed this year, and a year later Zircon is expected to go into mass production.
Problems encountered during development
For the Zircon anti-ship missile to become hypersonic, its creators had to work hard. One of the main problems is the monstrous overheating of the body during flight at hypersonic speed with the subsequent formation of a plasma cloud. As it turned out, one of the main missile systems, responsible for homing, is practically “blind” in it. It became obvious that Zircon would require a new generation of electronic components.
To accelerate the rocket, it was decided to use a direct-flow rocket engine with supersonic combustion on fuel with increased energy intensity - “Decilin-M”. To solve the whole range of problems, the best were involved in the development of the product. Russian specialists in the fields of aerodynamics, propulsion engineering, materials science and electronics.
Prospects
Initially, the Zircons were designed as “aircraft carrier killers” - sea-based missiles that would be equipped with the 5th generation Husky nuclear submarines. However, it is not difficult to assume that over time they will be able to launch from surface ships, land launchers and from attack aircraft.
Equipping the Russian Army with Zircon missiles could seriously affect the balance of forces. Firstly, they will become even more vulnerable US drums. Secondly, the unique high-speed and maneuverable characteristics of the domestic hypersonic missile will reduce the effectiveness of the American missile defense system to almost zero.
Hypersonic projects of the USA and other countries
However, one should not write off the main Russian competitors. Back in the early 2000s, during the presidency of George W. Bush, the development of the doctrine of rapid global strike began, where the main focus was on hypersonic cruise missiles with a range of 6000 km.As part of the doctrine, tests of the AHW missile are already underway, and next in line is the HTV-2 project to create a missile capable of reaching a speed of Mach 20 with a destruction range of 7,700 km. Last March, Lockheed Martin began developing the SR-72 hypersonic drone.
The hypersonic trend is the focus of China's military-industrial complex. So a year ago hypersonic aircraft were tested aircrafts DF-ZF and Yu-71. Developments underway in India tactical missile surface-to-ground class Shaurya, reaching speeds of Mach 7. France is not far behind with its hypersonic air-to-ground cruise missile project ASN4G with nuclear warhead and speed 8 Mach.
There is a slight panic in the Pentagon. Russian military and engineers successfully tested the new Zircon anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile. What is a hypersonic missile? We all know what a supersonic aircraft is. Such a plane flies faster than the speed of sound. Faster is about 1200 kilometers per hour. A hypersonic missile flies five, eight, fifteen times faster than the speed of sound. Let's imagine that we need to hit an enemy ship hundreds of kilometers away. Such a missile will cover the distance from launch to target in a few minutes. And no means of defense will simply have time to do anything.
Movement at such speeds is fundamentally different from movement at subsonic speeds - these are ordinary airplanes that we fly on, and even supersonic ones. There are many complex scientific problems that need to be solved. And our scientists solve them. We fundamentally overtook the Americans in this race. And the hypersonic race is the most advanced edge in the development of new weapons. By the way, the third participant is China. And he also has success. China has long been no longer a producer of cheap fakes.
In the future - the development of orbital hypersonic aircraft and orbital platforms. The American missile defense system, which they have been developing for decades, will not be able to withstand these weapons. The challenges facing the Russian military-industrial complex were discussed this week at meetings with President Putin.
In recent years, the Russian army has increasingly upset its, as they say, potential enemy. Then suddenly Russia will have in its arsenal Kalibr cruise missiles capable of hitting targets in the Middle East even from the Caspian Sea, or it will turn out that NATO tanks are instantly and permanently outdated as soon as the technical characteristics of our new Armata tank become known. Or our powerful military group with the latest weapons will appear in the Arctic. And so on. In short, Western military attaches at the recent parade in Moscow had plenty of reasons to think. The program for the rearmament of our army and navy, designed until 2020, is bearing fruit.
“The planned activities will not only equip the army and navy with modern weapons and equipment, they will make it possible to create a scientific and technical basis for the development of fundamentally new types of weapons,” the Russian president noted.
Vladimir Putin spoke about this in Sochi at a meeting on defense. Meanwhile, new equipment continued to arrive into the troops. Take aviation, for example. This year alone, the Russian Aerospace Forces and Navy will receive about 160 new helicopters and aircraft, including the modernized Sukhoi Design Bureau Su-30SM fighter. It successfully combines the capabilities of a fighter, attack aircraft and bomber, can control aviation operations and operate over the sea, lead 16 targets and attack four of them simultaneously. Its maneuverability is legendary. This is what those who, by profession, must squeeze out of this aircraft everything it is capable of say about the car.
“The first time I saw how the Su-30SM maneuvers in the air, my first thought immediately: in principle, the plane cannot fly like that. But the experience of operating the machine again shows that it can. Despite the fact that it is heavier than the Su-27, it is much easier to control,” says Vladimir Kochetov, flight commander of the Russian Knights aerobatic team.
Meanwhile, completely new Su-35 air vehicles and a fundamentally new fifth-generation multi-role fighter T-50 are on the way. In the nine years since the beginning of the army and navy rearmament program, Russia has already acquired a fundamentally new Armed Forces. For comparison, the data is for only two years, from 2015 to 2017. During this time, the share of new equipment in the Ground Forces increased from 32% to 42%, and the Airborne Forces - from 40% to 58%. In VKS – from 33% to 68%. In the navy, from 50% to 55% of new equipment. In the Strategic Missile Forces - from 50% to 72%.
“It must be borne in mind that there is much more to be done. I mean the development of the domestic electronic component base, first of all, the implementation of contracts for the full life cycle of military products, as well as the synchronization of the preparation of the necessary infrastructure with the supply of new weapons,” Vladimir Putin noted.
Russian military designers recently shocked Western militaries by announcing the successful test of the Zircon anti-ship cruise missile. This is a secret project, so its image and technical data are based only on the assumptions of experts.
During testing, this hypersonic missile broke all speed records of its kind - it reached eight speeds of sound, or, more simply, it flew faster than 2.5 kilometers per second. It's faster than a bullet. If it reaches the estimated range of 1,000 kilometers, it will call into question the entire American doctrine of global transmission of power through carrier strike groups. The range of US carrier-based aircraft is about 800 kilometers.
“Simply put, with the advent of Zircon hypersonic missiles on our cruisers, frigates and even corvettes, it turns out that even a corvette with an eight-missile salvo is capable of causing serious damage to an American carrier force. And the frigate, even in a single form, if it came up, in a single quantity. If it comes within range of a Zircon salvo, then it is capable of destroying the aircraft carrier multi-purpose group of the United States of America,” explains Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, Doctor of Military Sciences Konstantin Sivkov.
The American publication National Interest admitted that not a single fleet has any means of protection against Zircon today.
“Such weapons, combined with the ability to detect targets on the open ocean, could turn aircraft carriers into billion-dollar graves for thousands of American sailors,” the publication writes.
The upper stage puts the Zircon into the desired orbit, after which it accelerates to its maximum speed and moves towards the target at an altitude of 30-40 kilometers, where air density is minimal. Radars simply cannot see it at this speed; anti-aircraft missile systems are useless. But, according to experts, the overloads are gigantic, the rocket is moving in a cloud of plasma. We need super-strong materials and overload-resistant electronics.
“Russia, including relying on the scientific and technical foundation that was created in Soviet times, has, in principle, already solved these problems in principle. This is a level of science, technology, materials science, and control systems that no one in the world has yet reached, you know?” - says the editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, military expert, reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky.
Several countries are engaged in similar developments, but, according to experts, even American designers will need ten years to even get close to the characteristics of Zircon. There is no protection against it, not only because of its enormous speed, but also because in flight it maneuvers along an arbitrary trajectory, and if it hits, it is almost guaranteed to destroy the target. Here's what experts say about it in the British Daily Mail: “There is so little time to react that even if detected, existing protective measures may be completely useless. Even if the missile is shattered or detonated by a nearby weapon, the fragments will have so much kinetic energy that the ship will still be severely damaged.”
An entire meeting was devoted to breakthrough technologies and promising developments in the field of defense, which was held in Sochi on Friday, May 19.
“I would like to emphasize that the intellectual potential of the entire scientific community must be fully involved in ensuring the defense capability of the state. I mean, first of all, scientists, designers, engineers working on the creation of the latest complexes and systems. Those who will provide the Armed Forces with the ability to adequately respond to existing and possible future challenges and risks to Russia’s military security,” the president said in his speech.
Naturally, the breakthrough in the field of hypersonic weapons also affected the prospects of our nuclear missile forces. A few months ago, Russia successfully tested a strategic missile codenamed Yu-71. According to experts, this secret weapon is based on the same principles as the Zircon missile - it moves at hypersonic speed, and the separated warhead continuously maneuvers. With only one difference - the Yu-71 product launched from the Dombrovsky training ground near Orenburg and hit a target at the Kura training ground six thousand kilometers away. Experts believe that the rocket covered this distance in just 20 minutes. It is expected that in the future such developments will replace the current Russian strategic nuclear missiles. In a word, the long-standing dream of the West to speak with Russia “from a position of strength” still does not come true and is not coming true. And although no one has given up such fantasies, today Russia clearly demonstrates that it is not even worth trying.
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