Russia navy to get hypersonic missiles in 2022: Putin
President Vladimir Putin says Russia's navy is to begin taking delivery of the country's trademark Zircon hypersonic missiles, whose tests are nearing completion, in 2022.
"Now it is especially important to develop and implement the technologies necessary to create new hypersonic weapons systems, high-powered lasers, and robotic systems that will be able to effectively counter potential military threats, which means they will further strengthen the security of our country," Putin said in televised remarks.
He said that in testing, the missile had successfully hit both ground and sea targets when fired from under water or from surface ships.
Back in July, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the country had been developing the missiles to counter actions taken by the United States and the Western military alliance of NATO that damage military “parity” with Moscow.
The technology features development of projectiles that can travel five times faster than the speed of sound.
This is slower than an intercontinental ballistic missile, but the shape of a hypersonic glide vehicle allows it to maneuver toward a target or away from defenses.
China, the United States, and Russia are the main countries that are working on the technology.
Last month, The Financial Times alleged that China had tested a “nuclear-capable” hypersonic missile in August that travelled around the Earth at a low orbit before reaching its target.
China's progress on hypersonic weapons "caught US intelligence by surprise," the FT report read.
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