Zircon Missile – Short Notes
Name: 3M22 Zircon (Tsirkon)
NATO Code: SS-N-33
Country: Russia
Type: Hypersonic cruise missile
Purpose:
- Naval targets (initially)
- Land-attack missions (now included)
Service: Entered in 2022
Platform: Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates (Project 22350)
Specifications:
- Length: ~9 m (30 ft)
- Diameter: ~0.6 m (24 in)
- Weight: 3,000–4,000 kg (3–4 tons)
Propulsion: Two-stage
- Booster: Solid fuel, accelerates to supersonic
- Scramjet: Liquid fuel, reaches hypersonic speeds
Speed: Up to Mach 9 (≈11,000 km/h)
Range:
- 400–450 km at low altitude
- Up to 1,000 km on semi-ballistic path
Warhead:
- Conventional or nuclear
Guidance:
- Inertial navigation
- Radar homing
- Plasma stealth
Key Feature – Plasma Stealth:
- Creates a plasma cloud at hypersonic speed
- Absorbs radar waves → hard to detect/intercept
Significance:
- High speed, long range, and stealth make it a formidable precision strike weapon.