"Zircon" water outlet Russian Navy completes submarine launch test of "zircon" hypersonic missile ■ Wang Nan According to the announcement of the Russian Ministry of defense on October 4, the Russian Navy successfully test fired a "zircon" hypersonic missile (hereinafter referred to as "zircon" missile) from underwater that day. The missile was launched from the "North devonsk" nuclear submarine 40 meters underwater and hit the target accurately after flying 350 kilometers. The test firing verified the submarine launching combat capability of the "zircon" missile and demonstrated Russia's strength in the field of hypersonic weapons. North devonsk nuclear submarine "Ace" weapons appear "Zircon" is an air breathing hypersonic cruise missile. The missile strikes mission targets at a flight speed of more than Mach 5 and can break through the existing air defense system. It is used to attack large ship clusters and land high-value time sensitive targets. It is known as "aircraft carrier killer". Once the zircon missile appeared, it was defined as Russia's "ace" weapon. According to foreign media reports, "zircon" missile has a maximum flight speed of Mach 8 and a range of more than 1000 kilometers. The missile is designed by the Russian design bureau and adopts active / semi-active radar guidance mode. It has good adaptability in complex sea and air electromagnetic environment. Before launch, the missile borne computer of the "zircon" missile will store the image of the target ship in advance. In the process of attacking the target, the missile can optimize guidance and control according to the real-time image. Due to the high confidentiality of the technology, Russia has not announced the specific parameters of the "zircon" missile. According to the pictures released by the official, the missile adopts the wave control body design, has a small body shape and has good stealth performance. The biggest feature of zircon missile is its power system. It is reported that the missile uses the most advanced scramjet in the world with the most difficult technology. The engine generates power by sucking air as oxidant and burning it with its own fuel. The research shows that under the condition of consuming the same quality propellant, the scramjet can produce four times the thrust of the ordinary rocket engine, which fully meets the speed and power requirements of the "zircon" missile. With this technology, the "zircon" missile can achieve controllable power in the whole flight process, and can break through the shipborne air defense system to complete the strike mission. Verify submarine launching combat capability At the end of February 2020, the Russian Navy used the frigate "admiral Gorshkov" to test fire the "zircon" missile, marking that the missile has officially become an anti-ship missile that can be launched from the water surface. The underwater test launch on October 4 verified the submarine launching combat capability of the "zircon" missile and the comprehensive combat performance of the "North devonsk" nuclear submarine. "North devonsk" nuclear submarine is the first ship of Russian 885m type (NATO code Yasen class) attack nuclear submarine. It is 120 meters long and 13.5 meters wide, with an underwater displacement of 9500 tons and a maximum underwater speed of 31 knots. The boat is equipped with advanced communication and navigation equipment, which is mainly used for anti submarine and anti-ship operations. The boat also has good stealth performance and deep diving ability, and has almost the same attack power as the cruiser. Launching hypersonic weapons from nuclear submarines is a new combat style innovated by Russia in recent years. As we all know, weapon systems are inseparable from carrying platforms, especially hypersonic weapons. The launching of "zircon" missile from underwater not only faces complex ocean currents, but also solves the problems of water state stability and communication between missile and nuclear submarine, which pose challenges to the launch. The underwater test firing tested the system operation capability of the "North devonsk" nuclear submarine carrying the "zircon" missile, marking a significant improvement in the combat capability of the Russian army. From the frigate "admiral Gorshkov" to the nuclear submarine "North devonsk", it means that the launch carrier of "zircon" missile expands from the surface to the underwater. High speed penetration and precision attack of hypersonic missiles combined with covert maneuver of nuclear submarines will achieve 1 + 1gt; 2. Combat effectiveness. Building a non nuclear deterrent In 2014, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued the military doctrine of the Russian Federation, pointing out that non nuclear high-precision strategic weapons are one of the "main external threats" facing Russia, emphasizing that Russia should build a "non nuclear containment system". Russia's strategic deterrence will change from a single nuclear deterrence to a combination of non nuclear deterrence and nuclear deterrence, and make the non nuclear deterrence gradually become an effective strategic deterrence. As a powerful conventional strategic weapon, zircon has outstanding combat effectiveness and deterrence, and will become the basis of non nuclear deterrence. First, the "zircon" missile has a strong system breakthrough capability. With its special flight trajectory, the missile can evade the enemy's reconnaissance and early warning system. At the same time, the final penetration speed of the missile reaches Mach 8. In contrast, the flight speed of the interceptor of the US "Aegis" defense system does not exceed Mach 3. In theory, the penetration success rate of the "zircon" missile is more than 95%. Second, zircon missiles can be launched from different platforms. In addition to being launched from frigates and nuclear submarines, zircon missiles can also be launched by tu-160m2 and a new generation of strategic bombers in the future. In addition, its land-based version is also under development. Relying on the "zircon" missile, Russia is attacking the land, sea and air non nuclear deterrence combat system. Third, "zircon" missiles pose a serious threat to the US aircraft carrier battle group. Aircraft carrier battle group is not only the cornerstone of the power delivery of the U.S. Navy, but also the core means for the U.S. military to conduct ocean operations and deterrence. After the nuclear submarine is equipped with hypersonic weapons, it has the ability to carry out high-speed assault on the aircraft carrier battle group, which can offset the traditional advantages and deterrent effect of the aircraft carrier. It is reported that Russia plans to deploy the "North devonsk" nuclear submarine and the "Kazan" nuclear submarine equipped with "zircon" missiles in the high seas to safeguard Russia's security interests and maintain the strategic balance. (outlook new era)