Russia has announced today that the serial production of its 6,670-mph Zircon-or Tsirkon hypersonic weapon was underway amid severe tensions between it and the West.
TASS reports that the ‘unstoppable” weapon has been rushed to production even before state trials have ended.
Following recent success with the Mach-9 missile test, Russia has given permission for production to begin at Reutovo.
A ground target was hit by the Zircon hypersonic missile (Tsirkon) on the Barents Sea coast on July 19, 2021.
‘Serial production of Tsirkon missiles is underway at NPO Mashinostroyenia (plant), although state trials of this product’s surface launches will continue,’ said an informed source.
Vladimir Putin has ordered the missile to be deployed next year by the Russian Navy boasting that it is ‘truly unparalleled…in the world’.
Recently, the hypersonic weapon was tested successfully from a White Sea ship on 18 Nov.
Yury Borisov of the Kremlin, deputy premier (pictured), said that Russia was leading in hypersonic weapons last month and will continue to lead.
According to a recent announcement, further tests of submarine Zircon will not take place until 2024 or 2025.
One month before, the Zircon had been fired for the first-time from a submarine.
It has been identified by Moscow’s state-controlled TV as Vladimir Putin’s weapon of choice to wipe out American cities in the event of an atomic conflict.
According to TASS, the’multipurpose hypersonic weapon is designed for striking sea and land targets’.
It is capable of striking targets over distances greater than 625 miles.
Relations with the West are deeply strained over Russia’s reported troop build-up near its border with Ukraine, triggering fears of invasion.
After recent success tests, the go-ahead has been given for production in full scale at Reutovo’s top-secret facility.
Karen Donfried (Senior US State Department Official) expressed concerns Friday about Russian troop movements in the vicinity of Ukraine’s frontier.
NATO foreign ministers will next week discuss options for dealing with the perceived Russian threat, amid claims by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Moscow’s backing for a plot to overthrow him, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
Other flashpoints relate to Russian gas supplies to Europe during the winter amid shortage fears, and Moscow’s ally Belarus encouraging a flood of migrants to break into the EU.
The Zircon is expected to be placed on Russian warships and then, eventually, submarines.
The Zircon has been identified by Moscow’s state-controlled TV as Vladimir Putin’s weapon of choice to wipe out American cities in the event of an atomic conflict
The multi-purpose hypersonic weapon is intended to attack both ground and sea targets, according to TASS.
According to a recent announcement, further tests of submarine Zircon will only be performed in 2024 and 2025.
Sources within the defense ministry said that this week’s exercises would be performed from Project 885M submarine Perm, which will have a design slightly different from previous versions.
“If the submarine does not meet the Zircon test launch requirements in 2024 they will resume operations in the first quarter of 2025.
Yury Borisov (Kremlin deputy premier) stated that Russia was leading the West with hypersonic weapons last month and will continue to do so.
Next week, NATO’s foreign ministers will discuss ways to deal with the Russian threat.
He said, “We have made significant progress in particular the field of hypersonic weaponry and those based upon new physical principles.”
“We now have significant advantages in this respect over the leading Western nations – and we’ll continue to strive for this position.”
At Reutovo, Moscow region, Military-Industrial Corporation Research and Industrial Association of Machine Building MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia are developing hypersonic missiles.