This year, the Zircon hypersonic missile is planned to be used from the K-560 Severodvinsk nuclear submarine of Project 885 Ash, RIA Novosti reports, citing a source in the military-industrial complex.
According to the interlocutor, at least one launch of weapons from the submarine is planned “from the surface position and at least one from the underwater”, “after which a decision will be made on its acceptance into service both as part of surface and as part of submarine carriers.”
The source noted that earlier test launches of “Zircon” were carried out from a submersible stand. The interlocutor did not name the timing of the relevant tests.
In December 2020, the Russian Ministry of Defense published on YouTube a video with the launch of the Zircon hypersonic missile carried out from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of project 22350. The corresponding test launch was carried out from the White Sea at the target at the Chizha training ground in the Arkhangelsk region. The rocket developed a speed of eight Mach numbers and hit a coastal target at a distance of 350 kilometers.
In October of the same year, the American magazine Popular Mechanics wrote that the speed of the Zircon was terrifying, but the US Navy is engaged in interception of this weapon.
