The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has uncovered a network of manufacturers of the Russian Zircon missile
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released information about the Russian 3M22 missile of the “Zircon” system.
Ukrainian intelligence has also published data on 70 enterprises involved in the production of this Russian missile system.
In the “Russian Ballistic Weapons” section of the War&Sanctions portal, features an interactive 3D model and information on the components of the 3M22 ballistic missile of the “Zircon” system, the enterprises involved in its production, key personnel, and the foreign equipment used by these enterprises.
“Zircon was developed as a weapon designed to target naval assets (indicated by the letter ‘M’ in the product index), specifically for Russian nuclear submarines and Project 22350 frigates equipped with the 3S14 combat control system. During the Russian-Ukrainian war, facing significant challenges in deploying its fleet in the Black Sea, the enemy was forced to adapt the 3M22 missiles for launch from the “Bastion-M” coastal missile systems,” the GUR noted.
The warhead of the 3M22 missile weighs about 120 kg, which is an extremely low figure for the most expensive missile among all of Russia’s strike weapons. For example, even the small-class “Banderol” cruise missile has a warhead weighing 150 kg.
After the missile is launched from a ship’s container or a missile launch vessel, the booster engine ignites, allowing the missile to reach the necessary altitude and speed to ignite the main engine. After the booster engine separates, the main engine ignites. Both engines (the booster and the main engine) are solid-fuel.
The orientation and stabilization system’s engines, located on a protective fairing that later separates from the missile, are responsible for initially aligning the missile with the target.
“The adversary has claimed that at certain stages of flight, the missile can reach speeds of 9 Mach; however, the maximum recorded flight speed of the 3M22 missile currently does not exceed 6.8 Mach and is not sustained throughout the entire flight,” Ukrainian military intelligence noted.
The 3M22 missile has a combined guidance system—inertial guidance during the cruise phase and an active radar homing seeker during the terminal phase. It is equipped with the “Baget-83” on-board digital computing system, which is standard for all Russian ballistic missiles.
The missile’s tail section houses electrohydraulic steering units and aerodynamic control surfaces, which serve as the missile’s primary control surfaces. In the transport configuration, the control surfaces are folded; they unfold after the missile exits the launch container. The entire tail section of the 3M22 missile is made of titanium.
In addition to the design and components, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has released data on 70 enterprises involved in the production of 3M22 “Zircon” ballistic missiles, their main systems and assemblies, the casing, engines, solid rocket propellant, key officials and employees of the main ones, as well as the foreign-made technological equipment used by these enterprises.
The GUR reported this on Facebook.
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