Sizes of Tsirkon, Oniks missiles to be unified - source
MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - The size of the Tsirkon sea-launched hypersonic cruise missiles will be practically identical to that of its predecessor, the Oniks supersonic cruise missile, an informed source told Interfax on Thursday.
"The unified size of these two missiles is a remarkable achievement of their designer and manufacturer, Reutov-based NPO Mashinostroyenia," the source said.
"The unification will make it possible to rearm ships and submarines of the Russian Navy with Tsirkon missiles without spending money on modifying their launchers," it said.
Currently, surface carriers of cruise missiles (depending on their size) have one or two universal launchers, each of which is armed with eight Kalibr-NK and/or Oniks missiles.
"The unification of Tsirkon and Oniks will also give new combat characteristics to the Bastion coastal missile complex, which is capable of destroying surface and ground targets even without the new missile," the source said.
President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly on Wednesday that Russia's new Tsirkon sea-launched hypersonic cruise missile could hit surface and seaborne targets at a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers and a speed of Mach 9.
According to Putin, Tsirkon missiles will be deployed "on naval carriers - serial surface ships and submarines, including ones that have been or are being built to carry Kalibr precision-guided missiles."
Mashinostroyenia is an affiliate of the Tactical Missiles Corporation.