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| Russia Trials A-235 Nudol Missile Capable of Dropping Satellites |
Moscow - The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has shown a video of the test of the A-235 Nudol anti-ballistic and anti-satellite missile. The test firing was carried out in Kazakhstan at the Sary-Shagan training ground.
The name Nudol missile became famous on November 15, 2021, when Russia used it to destroy the Kosmos 1408 satellite. This case became famous after debris from the satellite forced the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) to take cover.
The A-235 Nudol missile is a hypersonic missile developed by Almaz-Antey. This missile is prepared to replace the popular A-135 missile called ABM-4 Gorgon. The A-235 Nudol missile differs from the A-135 in two respects, as it can be transported by truck and carries a conventional or nuclear warhead.
Russia is said to be developing three versions of the missile, namely long-range, medium-range and short-range. These different ranges also lead to different maximum altitude interception capabilities, ranging from 40,000 meters to 800,000 meters.
Quoted from the Bulgarian Military, Saturday (3/12/2022) the A-235 Nudol missile flies at four times the speed of a bullet. If it is assumed that the average initial velocity of a bullet fired from a weapon is 400 meters per second, then the Nudol missile is capable of flying at a hypersonic speed of 1,600 meters per second. However, there is no official information regarding the exact speed of the rocket.
The A-235 Nudol missile together with the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system are part of Russia's integrated space defense. Both systems provide the so-called extraterrestrial nuclear umbrella of Russia's strategy to counter the US and neutralize America's nuclear potential.
The recent test of fire at the Sary-Shagan training ground was not the first. This is at least the third missile test in the last four years. This fact is a clear signal that Russia will soon announce the inclusion of this missile in the Russian missile force.
Of course, this made Russia immediately translate it into operational and combat readiness. Mark Schneider, a retired senior Pentagon official, said in April that the new Russian interceptor missile would destroy the entire potential of the US based on satellites.