The Russian frigate "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov" conducted exercises in the western part of the Atlantic on the use of the Zircon hypersonic missile.

This was reported in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

“In accordance with the training situation, the frigate “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov” worked out the organization of launching a missile attack with a hypersonic missile “Zirkon” on a sea target that imitates a ship of a mock enemy and located at a distance of more than 900 km,” the website of the military department says.

As part of the training, in particular, the electronic launch of the Zircon was carried out.

According to experts, during an electronic launch, the crew of the ship performs target designation, pre-launch preparation of the complex, as well as testing the actions of combat crews during the combat use of the complex.

In this case, the rocket launch itself is not carried out.

According to the commander of the ship, Captain 1st Rank Igor Krokhmal, the launch efficiency was one unit, which means full compliance with expectations.

“In our version, the electronic launch, the work of the entire ship-combat crew confirmed all the characteristics that were incorporated into this complex, which it showed in preliminary tests and state tests,” he noted.

  • frigate "Admiral Gorshkov", "Zircon"

The Russian Defense Ministry added that in the course of carrying out the training task, the crew of the frigate demonstrated a high coordination of actions.

"Develop combat potential"

Recall that the frigate Admiral Gorshkov with the Zircons on board set off on January 4.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony of entering the combat service of the ship via video link.

“I am sure that such powerful weapons will reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and will help ensure the national interests of our country.

I want to emphasize that we will continue to develop the combat potential of the armed forces, produce promising models of weapons and equipment that will guard Russia's security in the coming decades," the head of state said in his speech.

  • Vladimir Putin takes part in the commissioning ceremony for the Admiral Gorshkov frigate

  • kremlin.ru

The President also thanked the “specialists of the military-industrial complex who developed and began to mass-produce” the Zircon sea-based hypersonic system. 

According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who also participated in the ceremony, "the main efforts during the campaign will be focused on countering Russia's threats, maintaining regional peace and stability jointly with friendly countries."

“During the exercises, trainings, the actions of the crew on the use of hypersonic weapons and long-range cruise missiles in various conditions will be worked out,” Shoigu said.

In the campaign, the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" accompanies the medium sea tanker "Kama".

The general command of the campaign is carried out by the commander of the division of missile ships of the Northern Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Oleg Gladky.

The Admiral Gorshkov has already conducted air defense exercises in the Norwegian Sea.

After that, he headed to the Atlantic Ocean for further tasks.

The Ministry of Defense reported that in February, a number of joint exercises with the South African and Chinese navies are planned to be held off the coast of the Republic of South Africa.

Hit land and sea targets

Recall that the Admiral Gorshkov frigate is the lead ship of Project 22350. This vessel became the first carrier of Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Over the past few years, the frigate has participated in the testing of these weapons.

  • Launch of the Zircon rocket

  • RIA News

  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Zircon missile was developed by specialists from the Reutov military-industrial complex NPO Mashinostroeniya (part of Tactical Missiles Corporation JSC).

At the end of December 2022, it became known that the company began serial deliveries of Zircons for the needs of the Russian Navy.

As Sergei Shoigu noted in his speech on January 4, the speed of the Zircons is about 9 Machs, and the range is more than 1 thousand km.

The missile is capable of hitting both sea and land targets.

“At the same time, a feature of the Zircon hypersonic missiles is the ability to reliably overcome any modern advanced air defense systems - missile defense,” the head of the defense department said.

In addition to the Zircons, the frigate is also equipped with Caliber cruise missiles, air defense systems, torpedo weapons and artillery.

In the future, it is planned to equip submarines with Zircons.

The necessary work for this is already underway.

So, in the fall of 2021, the Severodvinsk multi-purpose nuclear submarine of project 885 Yasen successfully completed two test launches of Zircons in the Barents Sea.

Shooting was carried out both from the underwater and from the surface.

"A Truly Incredible Weapon"

It is worth noting that the beginning of the campaign "Admiral Gorshkov" attracted the attention of Western media.

Thus, the CNN channel published an article on its website in which it stated that the Zircon missile is a “terrible weapon” if it “works as the Russians claim.”

  • RIA News

  • © Pavel Lvov

The authors of the article also cite the opinion of the US-based NPO Alliance for Missile Defense, which notes that the characteristics of the missile declared by the Zircon developers make it "the fastest in the world."

“Its speed alone will make protection against it almost impossible,” CNN quotes the opinion of employees of this organization.

The publication also notes that the plasma cloud generated by the rocket could be another "valuable" factor in its application.

“If you add to this the ability of the Zircon to change the flight path, then this is a truly incredible weapon,” the article says.

In turn, the American portal Military Watch Magazine notes that Zircon "will make relatively small ships, such as Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates and even patrol ships, a serious threat to fleets consisting of larger destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers."

“Russian ships will be able to take advantage of the missile’s range, its high survivability against air defenses, and the incredible damage it can inflict on impact due to its huge kinetic energy,” the publication says.

The British newspaper Daily Mail, in its material on the campaign of the Admiral Gorshkov, drew attention to the fact that the frigate would be located not far from Great Britain.

“A Russian frigate armed with unstoppable Zircon hypersonic missiles is on its way to Britain as part of an exercise,” the newspaper said.

And the American television channel CNBC expressed concern that "testing the strike potential of Russia in the Atlantic Ocean will be perceived by the United States and NATO allies as a provocation."

German analyst Jan-Frederick Wendt, in an article for the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper, pointed out that for Western military strategists, hypersonic missiles are a nightmare because they can be controlled even after they have been launched.

Wendt believes that such characteristics make Russian missiles virtually invulnerable to anti-aircraft systems.

"Unable to intercept or detect"

According to military expert retired colonel Viktor Litovkin, the main advantage of the Zircons is their hypersonic speed.  

“This rocket flies at a speed of about Mach 9.

Projectiles moving at that speed cannot be intercepted or detected.

The Zircon missile is invulnerable and capable of overcoming any defense system and hitting a given target.

Using Zircons, you can sink the most protected ship in the world - an aircraft carrier.

And there are several dozen such missiles on the frigate, ”the analyst said in an interview with RT.

He added that the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" poses a great danger both "for the ships of a potential enemy and for its ground facilities."

As the head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis Alexander Mikhailov notes, in the future, other ships of the Russian Navy may be equipped with Zircon missiles.

"Zircons" will significantly increase the combat power of not only Project 22350 frigates, but also all the main ships of the Russian fleet.

In the future, Zircon will become the main missile of the Russian fleet.

It is important to note that at the moment the Zircon is the only weapon of this class with such characteristics.

Our competitors have neither analogues of this system, nor ways to counteract it.

And in the short term, anti-missiles against Zircon will not appear, ”the specialist said in an interview with RT.

Victor Litovkin believes that the successful completion of the Zircon program was an important achievement for Russia.

“For the defense capability of the Russian Federation, this missile system is extremely important.

From now on, the enemy will have to take into account that some ships of our fleet have such missiles on board.

This will cool their heads and force them to act more carefully.

"Zircons" is not only a weapon of naval combat, but also a kind of deterrent at sea, ”the expert concluded.