Moscow-Sana
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a successful test-fire of a hypersonic anti-ship missile, the Zircon.
"A burst of Tsirkon missiles was launched at dawn today, and this latest missile we have was successfully and perfectly tested and works against sea, sea and land targets," Putin said during a joint session of the State Council and the Council for Science and Education today.
The Russian President stressed that this test constitutes a tangible step towards strengthening Russia's defense capabilities. He thanked all the designers, engineers and workers who had a role in developing this advanced missile system.
It is noteworthy that the Zirkon is the first Russian hypersonic winged missile capable of performing a long-range aerodynamic flight while maneuvering in the dense layers of the atmosphere using the thrust of its own engine along the flight distance, and its maximum speed reaches 9 (Mach), or 9 times the speed of sound, which represents About 2.65 km/sec at an altitude of 20 km, i.e. more than 10,000 km per hour, and its maximum range is about 1,000 km, and it is capable of hitting targets on the surface of the water and on land with the same effectiveness.
