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| 3 Russian Hypersonic Missiles That Have Terrible Capabilities |
International Military - Russia is known as one of the countries with a capable military power. Not only have competent soldiers, they also have a myriad of advanced military equipment with amazing abilities. Of the many, one that attracts attention is hypersonic weapons with two main types, namely hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles. Here are some Russian hypersonic missiles that have terrible capabilities.
1. Zircon Hypersonic Missile
3M22 Tsirkon or commonly called Zircon has the NATO reporting name SS-N-33. Quoted from the Eurasian Times page, the Zircon is a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile that is said to be capable of reaching speeds of Mach 9 and flying at an altitude of 30-40 km. In use, this missile will be fired from the 3S-14 universal vertical launcher on warships or submarines.
At its destructive power, the Zircon is armed with both conventional and nuclear warheads. In its history, the Tsirkon was first tested in January 2020 from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov. The plan is for this hypersonic missile to be used by the Russian Navy in 2022.
2. Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile
Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is one of Russia's hypersonic missiles. Quoted from the National Interest page, this air-launched nuclear-capable missile is said to have a range of more than 3,000 km. In addition, this missile also has a top speed of Mach 12 when launched from a Tu-22M3 bomber. Furthermore, the Kinzhal can also be carried by a specially modified MiG-31K aircraft. The Kinzhal hypersonic missile has officially been used since late 2018. However, until now it is not known exactly how much Russia has produced. In the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Kremlin is also known to have used Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
3. Kh-95 Hypersonic Missile
Besides Kinzhal and Zircon, Russia is also known to be developing a new hypersonic missile called the Kh-95. Quoted from the Derechos page, the development of this latest weapon was previously leaked by the Head of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Colonel General Vladimir Zarudnitsky in August 2021.
From the information circulating, the Kh-95 is expected to be a hypersonic missile that can cover a distance of up to 4,500 km. In addition, given its status as a long-range cruise missile, this weapon could potentially fulfill Russia's important future missions against NATO.
Furthermore, defense industry insiders also suggested the Kh-95 would be compatible with the specially modified Tu-160M and Tu-23M bombers.