Russian submarines have been carrying Zircon missiles.

Defense industry news, March 28th: ​​Russian submarines are now carrying Zircon missiles. This information was revealed by Russian media based on information from the submarine force.

Russia begins deploying Zircon hypersonic missiles on submarines; Ukraine reveals images of F-16s deployed in combat... these are the headlines in today's defense industry news on March 28th.

Russia has begun deploying Zircon hypersonic missiles on submarines.

The Perm nuclear attack submarine, part of the modernized Project 885M Yasen-M, will become the first permanent carrier of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. The first submarine equipped with Zircon was mentioned in documents detailing Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Murmansk.

“Perm, among the Project 885M nuclear submarines, will become the first regularly deployed submarine to carry Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, and in this respect, it will have a slightly different design compared to its predecessors ,” the TASS news agency reported.

The Perm multi-purpose nuclear submarine is the sixth submarine of Project 885. Construction began in 2016. The Yasen-class submarine can carry Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as torpedoes.

A Zircon missile launch. Photo: Rian

In February 2025, the American publication 19FortyFive wrote that the Zircon missile could give Russia a strategic advantage because it threatens enemy ships from a distance.

The 3M22 Zircon missile was first introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 as part of a series of advanced weapons. This missile underwent rigorous testing in late 2020, and subsequently achieved significant milestones with successful test launches from both surface ships and submarines in 2021. Considered a groundbreaking modern weapon, the 3M22 Zircon is regarded as having the potential to change the landscape of modern warfare.

The 3M22 Zircon missile, designated SS-N-33 according to NATO standards, is a maneuverable anti-ship missile operating at hypersonic speeds up to Mach 9 (approximately 11,000 km/h). This exceptional speed allows the Zircon to strike targets at long distances within minutes of launch. The Zircon has a range of up to 1,000 km, depending on its flight path. When flying at low altitudes, its range is approximately 500 km.

Zircon's two-stage propulsion system includes a solid-fuel booster for propulsion and a scramjet engine to maintain hypersonic speed. The missile can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and can be launched from a variety of locations, such as surface ships, submarines, and land-based launchers.

Zircon's high speed and flexible launch capabilities make it a significant challenge to current missile defense systems. Currently, no technology has been proven to effectively counter hypersonic threats, especially when Zircon is launched from a long distance.

Images reveal the deployment of F-16s in combat in Ukraine.

Flights by several Ukrainian Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets were first publicized in a report on Western aircraft activity in Kyiv.

The Telegram channel Military Observer published images of a formation of three fighter jets bearing the identifying markings of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It should be noted that footage of individual F-16s has previously appeared online.

The aircraft is equipped with AIM-120C AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-9M Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles.

Ukraine may have deployed F-16s in combat missions. Photo: Defense News

In early March 2024, French aviation expert Cyril de Lattre assessed that in an aerial battle over Ukraine, the American-made F-16 would lose to the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet.

In the same month, Lieutenant Ruslan Nugmanov, commander of the "Nebo" radar station of the Central Task Group, reported that F-16 and Mirage pilots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were trying to stay out of radar range.

The United States is developing 120 mm precision-guided ammunition.

The American company Anduril Rocket Motor Systems has been selected by the U.S. Army Command as the contractor to develop a new 120 mm solid-fuel rocket engine for long-range precision-guided munitions.

Specifically, Anduril Rocket Motor Systems assesses that one of the problems with modern weapons is the need to increase the amount of ammunition per launcher without increasing the size of the system. The 120 mm caliber allows for carrying up to 30 guided missiles in a single HIMARS container.

The HIMARS high mobility multiple rocket launcher system. Photo: Topwar

The U.S. military currently needs high-yield, low-cost, precision-guided rocket munitions that can be supplied in large quantities. Anduril is one of the few companies developing rocket engines of this type to meet the U.S. military's increasing availability and supply requirements. The solution the company proposes will increase the payload of MLRS without negatively impacting range, effectiveness, and lethality.

As part of the program, the company will manufacture and test rocket engines using both traditional aluminized fuel and its own advanced ALITEC fuel, improving rocket engine performance, increasing range while reducing size and weight. Anduril hopes that projectiles using the ALITEC engine can hit targets at ranges comparable to those using much larger rocket engines.

Recently, Anduril received $14.3 million in funding to develop new rocket engine production. This investment was supplemented by an additional $75 million from the U.S. government to increase order volumes and reduce production costs.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/tau-ngam-nga-da-mang-ten-lua-zircon-380442.html