Media: Newest Russian Subs “Husky” to Get Hypersonic Cruise Missiles

Rubric: Russia, Industry, Future

The fifth-generation nuclear-powered submarines being developed in Russia will be armed with the Zircon hypersonic missiles.

"The Husky Submarine project is currently under development at the Malakhit Design Bureau. These subs are to be equipped with the Zircon cruise missiles which trials have been already started", reports Lenta.ru referring to an insider in defense industry.

Anatoly Shlemov, the head of defense procurement department at the United Shipbuilding Corporation told to the news agency in June 2015 that the 5G nuke sub project would involve production of two versions: a hunter sub (a submarine chaser) and an aircraft killer (an antiship cruise missile carrier). Both versions are being designed on the same base platform; the key difference is a missile compartment in an aircraft killer version.

The Zircon cruise missiles (3M22) are developed by the Tactical Missiles Corporation at least since 2011. They are to replace heavy Granite antiship missile systems and to be mounted on prospective Leader-type ocean-zone warships (missile cruisers) and upgraded Project 1144 Orlan nuclear-powered cruisers.