Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile: Russia

• 23 Nov 2021

Why in News

Recently, Russia has fired its Tsirkon (Zircon) Hypersonic Cruise Missile from a warship in the north of the country.

• Earlier, it was reported that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle that circled the globe before speeding towards its target.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • The Tsirkon Cruise Missile will join Avangard glide vehicles and the air-launched Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles in Russia’s hypersonic arsenal.
    
    • Cruise missiles differ from ballistic missiles in that they fly towards their target at lower altitudes, remaining within the Earth’s atmosphere throughout their trajectory.
  • It is one of the several missiles being developed in Russia that will arm up Russian submarines, frigates, and cruisers.
  • Hypersonic Weapons are much harder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles because they can travel more than five times the speed of sound and maneuver in mid-flight.
• Hypersonic Technology:
  
  • Speed: 5 or more times the Mach or speed of sound.
  • Mach Number: It describes an aircraft’s speed compared with the speed of sound in air, with Mach 1 equating to the speed of sound i.e. 343 metre per second.
  • Technology Used: Most hypersonic vehicles primarily use the scramjet technology, which is a type of Air Breathing propulsion System.
    
    • This is extremely complex technology, which also needs to be able to handle high temperatures, making the hypersonic systems extremely costly.
  • Types:
    
    • Hypersonic cruise missiles: These are the ones that use rocket or jet propellant through their flight and are regarded as being just faster versions of existing cruise missiles.
    • Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV): These missiles first go up into the atmosphere on a conventional rocket before being launched towards their target.
• Development of Hypersonic Technology in India:
  
  • India, too, is working on hypersonic technologies.
    
    • As far as space assets are concerned, India has already proved its capabilities through the test of ASAT under Mission Shakti.
  • Hypersonic technology has been developed and tested by both DRDO (Defence research and Development Organisation) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).
  • Recently, DRDO has successfully flight-tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), with a capability to travel at 6 times the speed of sound.
  • Also, a Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility of the DRDO was inaugurated in Hyderabad. It is a pressure vacuum-driven, enclosed free jet facility that simulates Mach 5 to 12.