Key Points and Summary – Unable to compete with U.S. carrier production, Russia is modernizing its navy by arming its fleet with hypersonic missiles.
-The centerpiece is the Mach 9 Zircon, which entered service in 2023 and is being deployed on new Gorshkov-class frigates, the refitted Admiral Nakhimov battlecruiser, and new Yasen-M nuclear submarines.
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Kirov-Class Battlecruiser from Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-This “cost-effective” strategy “fundamentally alters naval warfare” by reducing reaction times to “mere seconds,” making previously “untouchable” U.S. carriers vulnerable, though the program faces significant industrial and economic challenges from sanctions.
Russia Navy’s Reborn Thanks to Hypersonic Missiles?
Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has been trying to modernize its Navy to maintain a semblance of parity with the United States.
Despite its ambitions, Russia has struggled to produce new ships and modernize older vessels, as seen in the Admiral Kuznetsov.
However, in the last ten years or so, the Russian Navy has shifted its approach. Rather than trying to match the U.S. with carriers and destroyers, Russia is now focusing on smaller frigates that can carry hypersonic missiles.
In general, the Navy has been working to integrate hypersonic missiles across the entire fleet, from battlecruisers to its nuclear submarines.
Russia’s Hypersonic Arsenal
The centerpiece of Russia’s naval hypersonic arsenal is the 3M22 Zircon missile. The Zircon is a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 9, or roughly 11,000 kilometers per hour.
Yasen-Class Submarine Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Its range is estimated at around 1,000 kilometers, with some reports suggesting it could reach 1,500 kilometers against land targets. Zircon can be launched from surface ships, submarines, and potentially future land-based systems, and it can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.
The Zircon entered service in January 2023 and has reportedly been used once in combat during the Ukraine conflict. One of its key advantages is compatibility with the 3S-14 universal vertical launch system, which also accommodates Kalibr and Oniks missiles, simplifying integration across multiple platforms.
Another hypersonic weapon relevant to Russian naval operations is the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, an air-launched ballistic missile adapted for maritime strike roles. Kinzhal can reach speeds of Mach 10 and has a range of up to 2,000 kilometers.
Although it is not ship-launched, it complements naval operations by extending Russia’s anti-ship reach through platforms such as MiG-31K interceptors and Tu-22M3 bombers. Beyond hypersonic missiles, Russia has been investing in other advanced naval assets like the most recent Khabarovsk Submarine and the Poseidon unmanned submarine.
Integrating Hypersonic Missiles into the Fleet
The vessels carrying hypersonic weapons reflect Russia’s modernization priorities. Among surface combatants, the Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates are the first to deploy Zircon missiles.
Ships such as Admiral Gorshkov, Admiral Golovko, and Admiral Amelko are designed for multi-role operations in distant seas and feature 16 vertical launch cells capable of firing Kalibr, Oniks, or Zircon missiles. These frigates have already demonstrated operational readiness, with Admiral Golovko conducting drills in the English Channel in 2024 armed with Zircon missiles.
Larger platforms such as the modernized Kirov-class battlecruisers, including Petr Velikiy and Admiral Nakhimov, are undergoing refits to accommodate Zircon alongside legacy systems.
Their size and power make them ideal for heavy missile loads, reinforcing Russia’s ability to project force. Smaller vessels, such as the Gremyashchiy-class corvettes, are also expected to field Zircon, providing hypersonic capability even in littoral environments.
Russia’s Submarines
Submarines play a critical role in Russia’s hypersonic strategy. The Project 885M Yasen-M class, exemplified by the submarine Perm, represents the first Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine equipped with Zircon missiles.
These submarines launch Zircon missiles via vertical launch systems and feature advanced stealth capabilities optimized for Arctic and global operations. Perm, launched in 2025, marked a milestone in underwater hypersonic deployment.
While Borei-A class ballistic missile submarines primarily serve as strategic nuclear platforms, modernization plans suggest they may eventually carry advanced cruise missiles for secondary strike roles.
Special-purpose submarines such as Belgorod and Khabarovsk, designed to deploy Poseidon drones, further illustrate Russia’s emphasis on unconventional deterrence.
Can Hypersonic Missiles Save the Russian Navy?
Russia’s naval modernization strategy through 2050 prioritizes the serial production of hypersonic-capable ships and submarines, the integration of unmanned systems and AI-driven reconnaissance-strike networks, and the domestic production of critical components to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions.
The Kremlin also aims to expand its Arctic and global presence, leveraging hypersonic weapons to project power in contested regions.
However, these ambitions face significant challenges. Economic constraints and sanctions could slow shipbuilding and missile production, while unresolved technological hurdles in scramjet reliability and guidance systems under extreme conditions remain. Operational sustainability is another concern, given the high cost and complexity of hypersonic weapons.
The integration of hypersonic weapons into the Russian Navy poses a significant threat to the U.S. Navy. The introduction of Zircon fundamentally alters naval warfare dynamics by reducing adversaries’ reaction times to mere seconds.
Kirov-Class from the Russian Navy. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
U.S. and NATO carrier strike groups, once considered untouchable, now face unprecedented vulnerability. Hypersonic weapons enable Russia to contest NATO in the Arctic, Mediterranean, and Pacific without matching U.S. carrier numbers, offering a cost-effective means of power projection. At the same time, these weapons blur the line between conventional and nuclear strike, raising the risk of escalation in any maritime confrontation.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
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