The Russian army announced Monday, November 29 that it had successfully carried out a new test firing of the hypersonic Zircon cruise missile, in the context of a race for this type of armaments, which Moscow considers "
invincible
".
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The announcement comes after the recent publication in American media that China has tested this summer a hypersonic missile capable of launching a projectile in turn, a technology that neither the United States nor Russia currently has. The Russian army, for its part, announced in a statement that it had fired a Zircon missile from the frigate Admiral Gorchkov at a target in the waters of the White Sea in the Arctic. The shooting "
was recognized as successful
", the target located more than 400 km "
having been destroyed
", said the press release.
A video, made public by the Defense Ministry, showed the craft taking off in a burst of light and followed by a trail of smoke in the middle of the night. The first official firing of a Zircon dates back to October 2020, when President Vladimir Putin hailed a "
great event
". Other tests have since taken place, notably from the frigate Admiral Gorchkov and from a submerged submarine. The last such test shot dates back to November 18.
In the context of the tensions with the Western countries, in particular with the United States, Russia has multiplied in recent years the announcements of the development of new weapons presented by Putin as "
invincible
", like the Zircon.
With a maximum range of around 1,000 kilometers, it is intended to equip surface ships and submarines of the Russian fleet.
The first new generation Avangard hypersonic missiles, capable of reaching a speed of Mach 27 and changing course and altitude, were put into service with the Russian army in December 2019.
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Russia is also seeking to develop its weapons for use in space.
She recently admitted having pulverized an old Soviet satellite in orbit, angering Westerners who accused her of endangering the International Space Station (ISS) by causing a cloud of debris.
