Russia's Monster Battlecruisers Are Getting Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missiles

The Russian Navy is set to upgrade its nuclear-powered Project 11442 Kirov-class battlecruiser Pyotr Veliky with a new hypersonic anti-ship cruise missile. The new Mach 5.0-capable 3M22 Zircon missiles would replace the ship’s existing 390-mile range P-700 Granit supersonic anti-ship missiles.

“The Pyotr Veliky will start repairs in the third or fourth quarter of 2019. Repairs and upgrade are due for completion in late 2022, the ship to be equipped with Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missiles,” a Russian defense industry source told the TASS news agency on February 19. “The missile is undergoing development testing and will enter service if it passes,” he added.

Russia’s nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great) is to be armed with hypersonic cruise missiles by 2022. Ultra-secret Zircon missiles are rumored to be passing final tests before being considered for introduction.

“[GM heavy cruiser] Pyotr Velikiy will go into dry dock in the third quarter or in late 2019. General overhaul and ordnance alterations are planned to be completed by late 2022,” a source in Russia’s shipbuilding industry informed TASS.

The source also confirmed that a prototype of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is undergoing government flight development tests. Once the tests are confirmed successful, the missile is going to be presented for state approval.

Another source told TASS that the heavy cruiser is going to be refitted with the brand-new multipurpose 3S-14 vertical launch systems.

Reportedly, each of the 10 3S-14s in production right now has eight missile containers that can house three types of anti-ship missiles: Zircon, Onyx or Kalibr.

Rostov-on-Don submarine launches several 3M-54 Kalibr © / Sputnik

Altogether, the cruiser will be armed with 80 anti-ship missiles, enough to engage any existing naval force globally.

Modern Russian anti-ship missiles, like Onyx, have an operational speed of up to 2.6 Mach (750 m/s or 2,700 km/h). The sea-based Kalibr cruise missile travels at a mere 0.9 M speed, yet when approaching the target its warhead speeds up to 2.9 M.

No technical information is currently available about the upcoming hypersonic cruise missile, reportedly being developed in at least two, airborne and seaborne, options.

Its top speed is thought to be at least 5-6 Mach, yet possibly could reach over 10 Mach maximums.

Onyx missile at MAKS Airshow in Zhukovskiy

The nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy is the world’s largest non-air-capable military vessel. Its inventory includes several hundred missiles, including anti-ship cruise missiles with nuclear warheads and various types of air-defense missiles, torpedoes, anti-submarine armament and artillery.

In another project, 11442, the nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov has been undergoing a general overhaul since late 2014 and will be totally refurbished and rearmed with brand-new missile systems ahead of the Peter the Great going into dry dock.

On Thursday, the Pentagon used the largest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal against a large group of Daesh terrorists in Afghanistan.

US Drops ‘Mother of All Bombs’ on Afghan Tunnels It Once Funded

The 22,000-pound GBU-43 bomb dubbed “the Mother of All Bombs” was dropped from a MC-130 plane in Nangarhar Province, targeting underground facilities and a system of tunnels used by terrorists.The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) is a large-yield conventional non-nuclear bomb considered to be the most powerful non-nuclear weapon ever developed at the time of its creation. The cost of a single MOAB is $16 million.

This was the first time the bomb was dropped in combat. It has been in service since 2003.

The Afghan Defense Ministry reported that at least 36 Daesh militants were killed in the bomb attack. However, later it was reported that 82 militants were killed as a result of the bomb drop.

US Drops ‘Mother of All Bombs’ in Show of Force ‘Designed for Russia, Syria, DPRK’

Nevertheless, the results produced by such a powerful weapon were not sufficient. The problem is that the “the Mother of All Bombs” was not designed to destroy fortified underground facilities. Like the BLU-82 Daisy Cutter bomb from the Vietnam War era, the basic operational concept of the GBU43 is to clear heavily wooded areas for landing helicopters and to clear mines.Commenting on the US bomb strike, Sputnik contributor Andrei Kots noted that it has rather a “psychological effect.”

“Honestly speaking, that was a blast. But if the potential enemy has a capable air-defense system, the GBU-43 will be useless, because a MC-130 would be taken down even before reaching the drop area,” he wrote.

FOAB

The GBU-43 is not the heaviest bomb in history though. This is the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a precision-guided 14,000-kg bunker buster bomb in service with the US Air Force.

The MOP can penetrate as deep as 60 meters under the ground and up to 19 meters of armored concrete. The first explosive test of the GBU-57 took place in 2007. The USAF received the first shipment of 20 bombs in 2011. The MOP has not been used in combat so far.

However, the most powerful non-nuclear bomb was developed in Russia. The Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power (ATBIP) was field-tested on September 11, 2007.

Russia’s ‘Father of All Bombs’ That Surpasses US MOAB in Almost Every Respect

Russia journalists immediately dubbed the ATBIP as “Kuzma’s father” and the “Father of all Bombs” (FOAB).It has a destructive power equivalent to 44 tons of TNT against 12 tons of TNT in the case of the GBU-43. It has a blast radius of over 300 meters compared to the MOAB’s 150-200 meters.

Information about the FOAB is secret, including the number of units produced and their deployment locations.

According to Russian military expert and journalist Viktor Murakhovsky, bombs with a destructive power equivalent to the MOAB were used by the Soviet Union during World War II.

According to the expert, in comparison to the GBU-43, the destructive radius of the US bomb is equal to the epicenter of the blast produced by the FOAB.

“On open terrain, the MOAB has a destructive radius of just 150-200 meters. At the same time, the FOAB produces a blast with an epicenter of 150-200 meters and its blast wave reaches beyond this area. The Russia bomb is destructive at a distance of up to 2.5 km,” Murakhovsky told Sputnik.

Heavy Artillery

Heavy-caliber cannon artillery follows aviation bombs in terms of power, as well as absence in real combat conditions.

‘PR Trick’: New US Hypersonic Projectile Not Yet a ‘Superweapon’

During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union heavily invested in developing capable artillery cannons. Both powers wanted to develop a weapon to deliver a low-yield tactical nuclear projectile at relatively small distances.In the USSR, the 2s7 Pion 203-mm self-propelled cannon and its modification the 2s7 Malka were developed. Despite the fact that they were designed to fire special projectiles, several types of non-nuclear shells were developed. For example, the 110-kg 3FOF35 high-explosive projectile could be fired at a distance of up to 50 km.

203-mm self-propelled gun 2S7 «Pion» in Saint-Petersburg Artillery museum

However, those weapons have significant disadvantages. There were few firing ranges where those artillery cannons could fire at medium and long distances. Moreover, both self-propelled cannons had small ammo reserves. Nevertheless, the Russian Armed Forces still have 300 Pion and Malka units, which have never been used in combat.

Western countries actively developed heavy-duty artillery systems in 1940-1945. Nazi Germany had the Karl 600-mm self-propelled mortars and the Dora 800-mm railway gun. In particular, they were used during the Great Patriotic War near Sevastopol and Brest Fortress.

36 inch mortar in use by the USA during World War II for test firing bombs.

 In 1944, the US tested the Little David mortar. It had a caliber of 914 mm and a weight of 88 tons. However, the cannon did not enter service.

‘Caspian Monster’

During the Cold War, the Soviet military tried to develop an efficient weapon against US aircraft carriers. One of the most unusual developments was the Lun missile-carrying ekranoplan, some kind of a hybrid between a plane and a vessel.

It was a ground effect vehicle. It flew using the lift generated by the ground effect of its large wings when close to the surface of water.

Lun-class (harrier) ekranoplan (NATO reporting name Duck) at the naval station in the town of Kaspiysk, Russia

The Lun had a length of 75 meters and a height of nearly 20 meters and could reach speeds of up to 500 kmh. American analysts dubbed the vehicle the “Caspian monster.” The prototype was commissioned on July 16, 1986.

Because of an extremely low altitude, the Lun could bypass the air defenses on the enemy ship. It was expected to come close to the enemy aircraft carrier group and attack it with Moskit supersonic anti-ship missiles. Each missile had a 300-kg warhead and could travel at altitudes of 7-20 meters.

The only model of this class ever built, the MD-160, entered service with the Black Sea Fleet in 1987. It was retired in the late 1990s and is now sitting unused at a naval station in Kaspiysk.

Underwater Missile

The Shkval missile-torpedo is another Soviet-designed aircraft carrier killer with unique capabilities. It entered service with the Soviet Navy in 1977. Initially, it was armed with a 150-kiloton nuclear warhead, and then a conventional warhead was designed.

© PHOTO: PRESS-SERVICE OF JSC “PO “SEVMAS

Russian Navy to Receive New Deep-Water Torpedo in 2018

The main feature of the Shkval missile-torpedo is its capability to travel at nearly 370 kph (200 knots) in a cavitation pocket. It was powered by an underwater solid-fuel jet engine deliver higher thrust.For decades, the Shkval was second-to-none among other torpedoes. However, in 2005, Germany said it had completed development of the Barracuda missile-torpedo capable of reaching the same speeds.

The Achilles’ heel of such weapons is its limited operation range. The Shkval is capable of hitting a target at a distance of only up to 13 km.

PRE WAR EUROPE: A SUMMER STORY

Finch's wine bar in Oxford Street, London, next to John Lewis & Co, is pictured left in January 1936. The property was due to be auctioned the following March and was expected to fetch an extremely high price - after a £100,000 offer had already been turned down. Pictured right is a swimming pool on the roof of the Piccadilly London hotel in August 1932

Quai des Tuileries

From the 1930s reveal a bustling pre-Blitz London The men from nearby St. Thomas' Hospital are pictured resting in their beds in open air while being tended to At nearby Hyde Park three women are seen carrying their gas masks while going for a swim in the Serpentine The shots are from Getty Images - which holds tens of millions of historical negatives in hundreds of archives These fascinating black and white pictures turn back the clock to a bygone era - revealing bustling city scenes in pre-Blitz 1930s London.The collection of images shows everything from swimsuit-clad women carrying their gas masks to tuberculosis patients enjoying the sun on the banks of the Thames.The men - who were wheeled out from nearby St. Thomas' Hospital - are pictured resting in their beds in the open air while being tended to by a nurse.The Houses of Parliament can be seen in the background in the historical photograph from 1936.  +24 Tuberculosis patients from St. Thomas' Hospital rest in their beds in the open air by the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament, in May 1936 +24   Three women pictured going for a swim in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, London, while carrying their gas masks +24 Emergency buses leaving Victoria station in London, following an underground train crash on the District Line in May 1938Meanwhile at nearby Hyde Park three women are pictured carrying their gas masks while going for a swim in the Serpentine.The stunning collection also shows American silent film actress Phyllis Gordon window-shopping with her four-year-old cheetah.The animal was flown to Britain from Kenya and she happily walked it around the capital on a chain and collar while she was on shopping trips. +24 American silent film actress Phyllis Gordon window-shopping in Earls Court, London with her four-year-old cheetah who was flown to Britain from Kenya +24 Children pour out of their school in Drew Street, Silvertown, in the east end of London, with the liner Rajputana in the background in January 1932 +24 Two divers jumping off the Embankment into the River Thames in London, near Westminster Bridge +24 A water cart man turns the water main on a group of boys to help them cool off in a street in Westminster, London during a heatwave in August 1930 +24 A Black & White milk bar on the corner of Whitefriars Street and Fleet Street, London in August 1935 Other images show relics of the past such as a Black & White milk bar on the corner of Whitefriars Street and Fleet Street - as well as Finch's wine bar in Oxford Street, London, next to John Lewis & Co.The property was due to be auctioned the following March and was expected to fetch an extremely high price - after a £100,000 offer had already been turned down.In other pictures women can be seen enjoying themselves while on holiday and nannies are photographed pushing prams through Hyde Park - which appears to be far less crowded than it is nowadays.The shots are from Getty Images - which holds tens of millions of negatives in hundreds of archives chronicling some of the most important periods in history. +24 Early morning rush hour traffic crossing London Bridge, central London in January 1933 +24 Victor Berlemont, a moustachioed French publican working in an establishment of London's Soho +24 A crowd of people wearing swimwear bathing in the Serpentine during the high temperatures in London's Hyde Park in August 1930 +24 Nannies push prams in Hyde Park, London alongside Rotten Row in 1936 +24 Two holidaymakers amuse themselves with a porter's trolley whilst waiting for their train at Euston Station, London, in August 1939 +24 A young exhibitor arrives with her kitten on a lead at the National Cat Club show at Crystal Palace, London, in December 1931 +24 +24 Finch's wine bar in Oxford Street, London, next to John Lewis & Co, is pictured left in January 1936. The property was due to be auctioned the following March and was expected to fetch an extremely high price - after a £100,000 offer had already been turned down. Pictured right is a swimming pool on the roof of the Piccadilly London hotel in August 1932 +24 School children play in Hyde Park on a sunny day in 1935. +24 Londoners in bathing suits taking advantage of a heat wave at Hyde Park lido in June 1933 +24 Two young boys are pictured out for a walk wearing shorts because of the heatwave in London, England in August 1932 +24 Children playing cricket in a street in Millwall, east London in August 1938. A liner on the Thames is seen in the background +24 Four swimmers enjoy an ice-cream at the water's edge in Roehampton swimming pool in May 1936 +24 Queen Victoria's Jubilee Clock is moved to another place in front of a crowd of spectators in August 1938 +24 A cleaner dusts a cast of a dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History Museum in London in November 1936. The cast was made from the D. Carnegiei diplodocus at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh in the US state of Pennsylvania A little girl drinking from a fountain with a lion's head at Finchley Swimming Pool, London in August 1937. Outdoor swimming pools became popularly known as 'lidos' in the 1930s - and proved to be very popular during the first half of the 20th century Sunshine and swastikas: Rare colour pictures of 1930s Berlin show carefree life in Hitler’s capital before war that reduced it to rubble Uncovered images show glimpse into life in the city as it lurches toward war As well as chilling images of swastikas and soldiers, the pictures show life scenes of ordinary Germans This collection of rare color photos of Berlin in 1937, taken by Thomas Neumann and uncovered from Norwegian archives, show life in the German capital during a tumultuous decade. They capture scenes in the vibrant city, which was under the iron grip of Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich at the very height of his power. Yet just eight years later the city was in ruins as Russians and Allies occupied it in victory. But at the time these images were taken, Hitler's Berlin was vibrant. Hitler had taken power after the collapse of the democratic Weimar Republic in 1933 as severe economic problems caused by the Great Depression drove ordinary Germans into the far-right party's arms. As well as chilling pictures of buildings emblazoned with swastikas, there are scenes of ordinary life as Germans go about their business. They show a child in a sun-drenched square, smiling friends at a train station, a cart selling bananas and a food vendor in a sunny park. Regal: These rare color photos of Berlin in 1937 give a unique perspective of the capital's pre-war period. The Stadtschloss, or Berlin City Palace, was heavily damaged during bombing and demolished by East German authorities after the war Devastated: The Stadtschloss after it was gutted by Allied bombs. It was torn down by East German authorities after the war but is currently being rebuilt Ominous: In 1937 Hitler was at the very peak of his power. Ordinary Germans were content and opposition was being ruthlessly crushed Smiling: An unknown trio at a train station. It is likely they were friends or colleagues of the photographer Rally: Soldiers and civilians at a rally on the decorated streets in Berlin. This photo is believed to have been taken on Labour Day (May 1) in 1937 Bustle: A cart sells fruit on a busy Berlin street Norwegian engineer Thomas Neumann (1901-1978) took the photos while working in Germany. The film he used was the first of its kind, and there are few similar images preserved in Norwegian collections. His coloured pictures gives historians a valuable view of the interwar period. In 2007 his photo gallery given to the National Archives of Norway by his daughter. Thomas Neumann trained as an electrical engineer in Dresden. After graduating in 1928 he worked in Berlin until 1933. Neumann was a member of the National Unity party, a fascist organisation and was appointed its propaganda leader in Oslo and Akershus. He left the party in 1937 and in October 1944 he was arrested for illegal activities and sent to the notorious Grini concentration camp. Echoes of history: This street scene shows the Augustiner Keller, a beer cellar in central Berlin. Few buildings were not festooned with Nazi regalia Power: Hitler had consolidated his power by the mid-1930s, thanks to widespread disillusionment with the Weimar Republic Youth: A little boy outside an unknown sunny square in Berlin Order: This intimidating picture shows troops lining a boulevard festooned with swastikas in anticipation of a parade Relaxation: Berliners enjoy snacks in a sun-soaked park Crowds: The pictures were taken by Thomas Neumann, a Norwegian engineer who worked in Germany Church and state: Swastikas and a maypole outside Berlin Cathedral Docking: Two men in suits aboard the steamer Preussen, presumably approaching Germany Quiet moment: A driver leans against a state car and enjoys a cigarette. The photos show candid moments among Berliners One candid picture shows a Brownshirt (a member of Hitler's paramilitary force) lounging against a state car in front of a building draped with the maligned Nazi symbol. On 30 January 1933, President Hindenburg, under pressure from Franz von Papen, appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Shortly after the Fuhrer seized power. The Nazi government restored prosperity and ended mass unemployment using heavy military spending and a free market economy. Extensive public works were also undertaken, including the construction of the Autobahns, to boost employment. Just two years later Germany would invade Poland and begin the most destructive war the world has ever seen. An estimated 60 million people lost their lives as a result of the Second World War and the global political landscape changed forever. Ripple: The 1937 May Day celebration was also a celebration of 700 years of Berlin's history Grand: The Messe Berlin situated in Berlin-Westend. It was completed in 1937 yet heavily bombed by Allied aircraft Masses: A lkarge crowd in Berlin, presumably in connection with Labour Day Force: In this picture we see military personnel father beneath decorations. An officer appears to be inspecting the men Overseer: A guard in a pristine white uniform looks on at a gathering crowd Civilians: Walkers on a mystery German street. Eight years later it would have been filled with Russian, British and American troops Serene: An unknown park in Berlin. The heat of the summer of 1937 meant sprinklers were required to keep the grass verdant History: Flags snap and flap in the breeze among a throng of Germans celebrating May day Colourful: Berliners gather to look at a giant maypole outside the Berlin City Cathedral Porte de Paris Boulevard Exelmans, 1920 Rue de la Roquette – 1918 Rue de la Roquette – 1918 Hôtel de Ville Invalides – 1909 Invalides - 1909

Samaritaine - 1930 Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis – 1914 Exposition Universelle - Trocadéro 1937 Rue du Pot de Fer - 1914 Quai de Bourbon - vers 1910 Place de la Concorde – 1918 Hôtel de Ville – 1918 Invalides – 1918 Hôtel de Ville – 1919 Rue de la Paix – 1919 Rue de la Paix – 1919 Vendeuses aux Halles – 1920 Parvis de Notre Dame – 1918 Quai du Louvre – 1920 Quai de Béthune – 1923 Aubert Palace – 1925