Friday December 24th 2021
“Successful and error-free”
Putin reports hypersonic missile tests
Hypersonic missiles are considered the weapons of the future. Now Russia is testing several of the “Zircon” rockets, which are described as “invincible”. According to Kremlin chief Putin, the test run has been successful.
According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia has successfully tested several hypersonic missiles at the same time. The tests were carried out during the night and were “successful and error-free,” said Putin in a televised address. For Russia this is “a big event and an important step in strengthening Russian security and improving its defense capabilities,” he added.
At the end of November, Moscow announced a test with its zirconium hypersonic missile. As the army announced at the time, the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” fired a zircon rocket at a target in arctic waters. The downing “was recognized as successful” because the target over 400 kilometers away had been “destroyed”, it said.
Putin announced the development of the Zircon missile in February 2019. At the time, he said the rocket, with a range of 1,000 kilometers, could reach nine times the speed of sound. The missile was tested for the first time in October 2020. Putin described the Russian hypersonic missiles as “invincible”. There have already been several tests with the Zirkon rocket, both from the “Admiral Gorshkov” and underwater from the submarine “Severodvinsk”. Up to now, however, Russia had not reported that several zirconium missiles were being tested at the same time.
Hypersonic missiles can reach more than five times the speed of sound and are maneuverable in flight. They are difficult to spot and intercept for conventional air defense. An international race has broken out between the USA, Russia and China for the development of hypersonic missiles.