Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a frigate into the Atlantic Ocean armed with new-generation hypersonic cruise missiles on Wednesday, a signal to the West that Russia will not back down from the war in Ukraine.
Russia, China and the United States are in a race to develop hypersonic weapons that are seen as a way to gain an advantage over any adversary because of their speeds – up to five times the speed of sound – and maneuverability.
In a videoconference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Igor Krokhmal, commander of the frigate named “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov”, Putin said the ship was armed with Zircon hypersonic weapons.
“This time the ship is equipped with the latest Zircon hypersonic missile system,” Putin said. “I am sure that these powerful weapons will reliably protect Russia from possible external threats.”
More than ten months since Putin sent troops into Ukraine, there is no end in sight to the war that has devolved into an intense winter artillery battle that has killed and wounded tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides.
Russia has also used Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles in Ukraine.
Along with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle that entered combat service in 2019, the Zircon forms the centerpiece of the Russian hypersonic arsenal.
Russia sees the weapons as a way to pierce America’s increasingly sophisticated missile defenses, which Putin has warned could one day shoot down Russian nuclear missiles.
Atlantic Voyage
Shoigu said the Gorshkov would sail to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
“This ship, armed with ‘zircons,’ is capable of delivering precise and powerful attacks against the enemy at sea and on land,” said Shoigu.
Shoigu said that hypersonic missiles can overcome any missile defense system. The missiles fly at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of over 1,000 km.
The main tasks of the trip were to combat threats to Russia and maintain “peace and regional stability together with friendly countries”, he added.
A US Congressional Research Service report on hypersonic weapons says Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles are designed to be used with nuclear warheads.
The target for a hypersonic weapon is much more difficult to calculate than for intercontinental ballistic missiles, because of their maneuverability.
In addition to Russia, the United States and China, several other countries are developing hypersonic weapons, including Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, North Korea and Japan, according to the US Congressional Research Service.
Source: CNN Brasil

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