State Trials And Complete Document Processing, Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile Enters Russian Naval Service In September

Test firing of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate. (Source: Russian Ministry of Defense Press Office via TASS)

JAKARTA - The state-of-the-art Tsirkon hypersonic missile will enter service with surface ships of the Russian Navy in September this year, a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.

“The state missile tests have been completed and all documents on acceptance of weapons for service have been adopted. Tsirkon is expected to enter service with the Navy in September," the source told TASS, as quoted on July 28.

However, TASS has no official confirmation of this information.

As previously reported, the Tsirkon hypersonic missile is expected to enter service in the Russian Navy by the end of 2022, after completing a series of state trials.

On May 28, a Tsirkon missile was tested at its maximum range from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov. The Ministry of Defense reported that the missile was launched from the Barents Sea at a naval target in the White Sea about 1.000 km away.

Earlier this year, the Russian military fired the Tsirkon, Kinzhal to Kalibr strategic missile drills led by President Vladimir Putin, before the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

It is known, in his State of the Union address to the Federal Assembly in February 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Tsirkon is capable of developing a speed of about Mach 9 (nine times the speed of sound) and its attack range can exceed 1.000 km.