Russian hypersonic rocket «Zircon» — one of the pillars of Russian propaganda and an object of technological pride. However, is this really «hypersonic » and a new development?
Russian media spoke about the work on the 3M22 anti-ship missile in 2011. Its main advantage was hypersonic speed, which would allow to bypass missile defense systems and unhindered to hit enemy ships.
During all the development and before the tests, Russian agencies never presented models or graphic images «of Zircona», keeping the appearance a secret. And this is understandable, because they can issue general information and a possible flight profile of the rocket.
For the first time, the short-term emergence of top-secret Russian development took place only in 2020, when during the tests of the rocket took off its launch from the frigate «Admiral Gorshkov» in the White Sea waters.
The video shows the launch of a cigar-shaped rocket with a blunt «cap » in the nasal part, similar to those installed on 3M55 missiles «Oniks». The only purpose of this part is — protection of the annular air intake in the nasal part from the entry of foreign objects.
The rocket is started mortally using a solid-fuel accelerator, which outputs the rocket to the flight path and accelerates to the minimum operating speed of the supersonic direct-precision air jet engine.
After working, the starting solid fuel engine burns in the fuselage pipe, and the «cap» in the nasal part is fired, opening the air intake. The main jet engine is then started. The switching moment can be traced to the disappearance of the flame in the tail of the rocket.
The reliable parameters of «Zircon» are unknown, and the stated characteristics are questionable given the propaganda policy of the Russian Ministry of Defense. However, the overall values can be calculated based on the characteristics of the peripheral equipment.
So the universal vertical launcher 3C14 on the frigate «Admiral Gorshkov», from which the launch of the rocket 3M22 was made, has a cell 10 meters high and a meter wide. However, the rocket itself must be smaller, taking into account the tolerances and size of the transport and launch container.
Study of wreckage
Currently, «Militar » has photos of the combat unit, fuselage elements, cladding and a fuel tank of rockets shot down on March 25 over Kyiv.
The combat unit found is much smaller than that used in similar Russian supersonic anti-ship missiles. According to the dimensions, it reaches 400 mm in diameter and 450 mm in length.
The method of weighing all the found fragments determined that its weight is approaching
150–200 kg, of which the explosive is about
40–80 kg.
The body of the combat part is made of steel. Its walls are quite thin, but closer to the nasal part thicker based on a powerful impact in a collision.
This solution is similar to the design of a semi-armorized BS «Onyx» and traditional for PKR, which is not faced with the task of punching thick armor or concrete fortifications.
Unexploded combat unit of the downed 3M22 missile «Zircon», March 25, 2024. Photo: t.me/war_home
The rocket's fuel tank was also found. According to the source, from the detected parts there was the smell of decillin — high-calorie liquid rocket fuel.
Most likely, we are talking about the remnants of its more powerful version «
Decylin-M». In 2016, the Russians announced the use of this substance as part of promising samples of hypersonic weapons.
«
In recent years the Russian army took for the supply of fuel «Decillin-M», which will increase the range of application of strategic cruise missiles by 250—300 km. It is planned to be used as fuel for jet engines of new hypersonic strategic winged missilest», — stated Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Dmitry Bulgakov.
It is worth noting that the fuel compartment cladding is made, in particular, from unknown composites. Also in the photo you can see the top «soft » layer of unknown material, which can be part of the heat interface for insulation from heating, which occurs when flying in a dense atmosphere at supersonic speeds.
Residues of the 3M22 rocket fuel tank «Zircon», March 25, 2024
Another large missile wreck was identified as the tail of «Zircona». She and her flaps are made of titanium, like most other missile nodes.
Despite the broken flaps visually, the tail part repeats the contours of the rocket «Oniks». However, it should be noted that this part has a number of small differences.
Tail part 3M55 «Oniks» and a downed Russian rocket 3M22 «Zircon»
Summing up the information obtained from the wreckage, rocket launch footage and analyzing the previously published Ukrainian institute KNDIS report on the wreckage February «Zircona», you can draw certain conclusions.
First of all, «Zircon» is equipped with a liquid direct-fuel jet engine. There are currently no images of the surviving nose of the rocket, but based on other signs, it can be assumed that it contains a ring air intake that passes through the entire rocket to the jet engine.
Constructively, the rocket is made according to the classic scheme with the placement of guidance and explosive systems in the main part, the fuel tank in the center and the engine in the stern. Its dimensions are previously located within 8—9 meters.
The above description indicates that this rocket is a deep modification of 3M55 «Onyx». However, there are also significant differences: it widely uses titanium alloys and composites, the diameter of the main part is slightly smaller than most of the hull, the combat part is much lighter than that used in 3M55.
In addition, most of the wreckage found factory laser engraving «3M22», «3L22», which eloquently indicates the type of ammunition used.
Reconstruction of the 3M22 rocket by found wreckage (KNIDSE) and a graphic model of the 3M55 rocket «Onyks»
Flight profile and interception «Zircons»
On March 25, 3M22 missiles shot down the Patriot PAC-3 anti-aircraft complex. They were launched from the Crimean peninsula and covered a distance of about 600 kilometers, reaching the capital of Ukraine.
Given the lack of reports from the local population about sea launches, it can be assumed that they were made from terrestrial mobile installations. To do this, probably involved a prototype of a new missile complex for «Zircons», which was manufactured in 2022.
The profile of the rocket's flight is still unknown. However, according to its own sources «Militar », in the final section of the flight, the speed of the rocket is reduced to 3 Machs, so it is possible to shoot down.
The sharp deceleration can be explained by the need for the rocket to escape from «plasma clouds », which is formed from the heating of the hull when flying in dense layers of the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds (>5 Mach). This plasma forms a «impenetrable » cocoon for radio radiation, so the rocket does not have any connection and the ability to use a radar guidance system.
For its part, this may also be an indirect confirmation of the use of active radar GSN in «Zircona». Its use was expected given the main task set in front of the rocket: the fight against enemy ships.
For words the head of the KSDIS military research laboratory, Andriy Kulchytsky, the use of «Zircons» revealed their low accuracy, as they were not used for direct use.
Indeed, given the validity of the use in «Zirconi» guidance system with ARLGSN and inertial system, its ability to accurately strike ground targets will remain limited. In practice, the error of such a rocket can reach 300 meters.
Is it «Zircon» or «Oniks»?
Based on the data obtained, it can be reasonably assumed that the 3M22 missiles used in Ukraine are a further development of the still Soviet supersonic anti-ship missile 3M55 «Oniks», which was created in the late 1970s. This significantly changes the view of this rocket, refuting the thesis about the use of hypersonic glider and technology
Scramjet.
The new speed characteristics of the rocket, which significantly exceeded the capabilities of «Onyx », were most likely achieved due to the significant relief of the rocket, which even included a reduction in the combat unit. The new rocket was also to produce more powerful fuel and a new straight-facing engine focused on higher speeds.
Higher speed «Zircona» means that Ukrainian air defense calculations have less time to respond in the event of a shelling, but the missile still remains within reach for Western missile defense systems.
