Can Patriot stop a Zircon hypersonic cruise-missile in Command: Modern Operations?

Trying out the Zircon hypersonic-cruise missile in C:MO. Can Patriot defend against it? And why?
Featuring:
- 3M22 Zircon (SS-N-33)
- MIM-104 Patriot (PAC3)

[@Commander_Doge_Official]

Found this amazing channel! Keep up the vids

[@Simoholics-uk1py]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[@maidpretty]

Back in March 2024 presumably 3 Zircon missiles hit something near IEV/UKKK airport near Kyiv (AA sites, probably, debris with 3M22 markings was found), they were not intercepted by Ukrainian Patriot and other SAMs, air raid sirens came online only after missiles already hit the targets, came from 800-1000 km range (probably). These new hypersonic missiles are capable of maneuvering during cruise and terminal phases of flight, they don't just fly in a straight line.

[@Fir3w411]

FYI Zircon does not look like the illustration shown here and in 99% of all media surrounding it. What is shown here is actually a 1:1 photo of the X-51, and the various program stickers such as DARPA or P&W are often mistakenly left on the lower part of the scramjet for photos claiming it is a Zircon. Additionally, the booster stage is the same ATACMS missile booster found on X-51. As for the real shape, an illustration has floated around on SPF and the TW forums for many years depicting the missile as a two-stage solid-fuel ducted scramjet. What is remarkable about the illustration is that the recovered tail section from the missile shot down in Ukraine is a 1:1 exact match for what is found in the illustration.

[@Simoholics-uk1py]

Indeed, the X-51 seems to be the inspiration for the few renders that exist claiming to be zircons... I was not aware of this. Wonder if the design that is currently produced as "zircon" may be closer to the X-51 design than previous iterations, since it is well documented and probably does a few things right, thus explaining the wreckage.. Anyway this is really pure speculation on my part. But big thanks for pointing this out though!

[@Fir3w411]

@@Simoholics-uk1py Google ‘Zircon missile SPF forums’ and you will find what it most likely looks like. Scramjet inlet is similar to the American HyFly and as previously mentioned, the solid-fuel stage tail section matches what was found in Ukraine. The missile is very axisymmetric.

[@Tommy-zs6ro]

Interesting, western propaganda then

[@voidwalker9223]

I think you missed biggest point of hypersonic cruise missiles (Unless I missed it in video) that they can maneuver. I think you can change its course so the last minute or 2 keep making it do random left and right points before impact but not too much because it might miss target and the Patriots will have a harder time possibly tracking and intercepting

[@Simoholics-uk1py]

Yes, you are right, there is also that aspect. Kinda feel the maneuvering is a little overrated, making turns will canibalize your range for CM and speed for HCVs... With patriot you can theoretically sneak up from behind since it is not omnidirectional. Making turns during final descent to evade interceptors could be a little hard to pull off without also completely missing the target afterwards. Could totally be wrong there and might play around with this in the future...

[@voidwalker9223]

@@Simoholics-uk1py to be honest hypersonic missiles in general are over hyped and probably waste of time and money. They were designed for speed and maneuverability but we don’t have the technology to make them work seeing as US has wasted hundreds of billions in design and still having issues with little result. Russians and Chinese highly doubt they have much and their designs (which are untested) are propaganda tools. But on my opinion if you’re going to use a missile for speed and a single trajectory you might as well just use a regular old ballistic missile and overwhelm enemy defense with drones right before ballistic missile strike making you waste the drones. But yes you would have to move the launch platform or ship much closer if you plan on using more fuel to maneuver.

[@Hugo_Furst]

The Kinzhal hypersonic missile is a ballistic missile and is not capable of maneuvering. The Zhirkon is a hypersonic that can maneuver.

[@mirandela777]

He do not only miss that, as well he missed another "detail" - such missiles come with several decoys, making the interception almost impossible - you need AT LEAST 2 interceptors for a target, and Patriot service record is miserable, with an interception rate a bit above 56% against ballistic, not hypersonic targets, and on a fix trajectory, without decoys involved. To be fair, missile specialists with active experience (military) already debated this, peoples with real knowledge, not kids on YT, and concluded it is almost impossible for the Patriot system to intercept a Zircon.

[@mirandela777]

@@voidwalker9223 "to be honest" one describe the grapes as soar, when one is incapable to get them ! You need to educate yourself dude, swallow the facts, and learn the meaning of "honest". Murican engineers, sons of 4 mums, are proving to be decades behind.

[@evitoonbundit2453]

Perhaps if you launch all 32 at once?

[@mirandela777]

US do not even have a working PROTOTYPE for a hypersonic cruise missile, they had many failures in the last years. Worth mentioning, one needs 5-10 years from the stage of a working prototype to the phase of serial production and deployment in active service. So, realistically speaking, US is probably ,ore than a decade behind Russia. Especially when Russia not only reached these stages, but also they started introducing them on all platforms ( land, sea/underwater, air)

[@preludeh22a57]

ha ha! USA is 50+ ahead of ruzzia! USA just keeps its weapons in secret. Don't believe ruzzian propaganda, they don't have anything working- just look at their complete collapse in Ukraine. Using meat waves equipped with shovels agains NATO trained Ukrainian army? Ukrainians lost 31K wounded, while orcs lost 500K+ dead!!!