The Mach 8 firepower is Vladimir Putin’s preferred option to wipe out a number of American cities in the event of nuclear war, according to Moscow’s state-controlled TV.
Deep secrecy has surrounded tests and designs of the Zircon, which Putin claims is unmatched by any Western missile.
But today state-controlled TASS news agency reported: "Trials of launching a (Zircon) missile from a naval vessel are planned to start at the end of the year.
“The Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, also known as Project 22350, from the Northern Fleet will be used.”
The report was cited to an unnamed source in the Russian “military-industrial complex”.
The Russian defence ministry did not immediately officially confirm the TASS report.
Previously it is believed that the shark-nosed Zircon has been tested at least five times from land-based sites, and is capable of a speed of 1.7 miles per second.
In June 2017 the missile reached eight times the speed of sound, according to reports.
The Royal Navy’s Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missile is reportedly only capable of intercepting targets flying up to Mach 3.
TASS said the sea-based tests would start later this year.
Hypersonic cruise missile Zircon is designed to be used against ships or land-based targets, and to enter production in 2021, commencing service the following year.
Last month Dmitry Kiselyov, presenter of Russia’s main weekly TV news show Vesti Nedeli, showed on screen a map of the US identifying targets he claimed Moscow would want to hit in a nuclear war.
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