The enormous speed of up to Mach 9 has become the main advantage of the Russian "Zircon" missile, but it is precisely this speed that has created one of the most complex engineering challenges. When flying at several Machs, the air in front of the body is compressed, heats up sharply, and turns into a layer of ionized gas.
A plasma cloud forms around the missile, which can affect the operation of onboard electronics, communication, and guidance systems. At the same time, the structure must withstand extreme thermal loads, when the temperature of individual parts of the body reaches thousands of degrees.
Military expert Boris Rozhin noted that the creation of such complexes requires technologies that only a few countries possess.
The presence of such developments clearly demonstrates why Russia is considered a world leader in the development of hypersonic weapons, and gives the Russian armed forces important trump cards in carrying out high-precision group strikes.
At the same time, "Zircons" are fully compatible with 3S-14 launchers for "Oniks" and "Kalibr" missiles on Russian Navy ships. Therefore, there was no need to redesign them or build new surface carriers.