Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet firing a Tsirkon missile during a test last May. Source: the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russian defense contractors have designed and manufactured a mobile ground launcher for the Tsirkon hypersonic missile, TASS reported on November 4, citing a source close to Russia’s military establishment.
The unnamed source told the Russian news agency that the mobile ground launcher will be a part of a coastal defense missile system that utilizes the missile.
“The prototype of a mobile launcher of a coastal defense missile system, using a Tsirkon hypersonic missile, has already been created. As was the case with the Bastion system, the launcher will carry two missiles,” the source said.
The Tsirkon, which was developed by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is powered by a state-of-the-art scramjet engine that allows it to reach speed as high as Mach 9. The highly-maneuverable hypersonic cruise missile can destroy both naval and land targets. Its range is said to exceed 1,000 kilometers.
The missile is reportedly equipped with a high-precision inertial navigation system along with an advanced active radar seeker.
The Tsirkon’s ability to maneuver at a hypersonic speed means that it cannot be intercepted by existing missile defense systems.
NPO Mashinostroyeniya has been leading the development of the Tsirkon costal defense system, which will be able to engage naval and land targets. The system will reportedly enter service with the Russian Navy before the end of the year. TASS new report indicate that the development of the system has reached its final stage.
It’s worth noting that Tsirkon missiles have been in production for around a year. Russian Navy warships and submarines have already carried out several successful-tests of the missile. As of now, the NATO has no match for the missile or a countermeasure for it.
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