Death of Alexander Leonov
Alexander Leonov, the General Director and Chief Designer of the NPO Mashinostroyeniya, has died at the age of 74, as reported on April 5. The enterprise, based in Reutov, is part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation. NPO Mashinostroyeniya is known as the developer of Russia's 3M22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missile, as well as the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.
The Zircon Missile and Its Deployment
The Zircon missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 9 (approximately 11,000 km/h) and has an operational range between 600 and 1,000 kilometers. While originally designed for deployment on ships and submarines, Russia has adapted it for launches from mobile coastal defense systems like the Bastion. This weapon has been used by Russia to strike ground targets in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force has successfully intercepted Zircon missiles using Patriot and SAMP/T air defense systems.
For instance, on the night of February 16, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with four Zircon missiles, alongside Iskander-M and Kh-31P missiles and 62 attack drones. Following an attack on Kyiv, photos of the wreckage from a downed Zircon missile appeared online. The death of Alexander Leonov marks a significant loss in the field of advanced missile development, technology that continues to be employed in the ongoing conflict.
Leonov's passing may impact the future trajectory of Russia's missile program, as he was a pivotal figure in the creation of key weapons like the Zircon. His departure raises questions about succession within the leadership of NPO Mashinostroyeniya and potential shifts in the strategy for developing new technologies. In the context of the war in Ukraine, the performance and reliability of such advanced Russian systems remain a critical factor influencing the battlefield situation. The Zircon represents a class of weapons that major militaries, including the United States and China, are actively seeking to counter or develop themselves.