Russian super weapons
In March 2018, as part of his Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, the Russian president Vladimir Putin announced six novel nuclear or dual-use weapons systems, popularly dubbed "super weapons" (Russian: супероружие, romanized: superoruzhie).[1][2]
Putin stated that together the weapons provided Russia with a strategic capability that was impossible for America to intercept, restoring Russia's nuclear deterrence capability in the face of American technological developments following America's withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[3]
The "super weapons" named were:
- The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle
- The 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile
- The 3M22 Zircon scramjet-powered anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile
- The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile
- The Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle
- The RS-28 Sarmat liquid-fueled, MIRV-equipped super-heavy ICBM
Deployment
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The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missile started test operations in December 2017 and has been deployed since 2018.[5]
On 27 December 2019, TASS reported that the first missile regiment armed with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle officially entered combat duty.[6]
As of 2020[update], the 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile was still under development. The Nyonoksa radiation accident appears to have been caused by an accident while testing a prototype.[7]
TASS reported that the first contract for producing the RS-28 Sarmat missiles was signed in August 2022.[8]
On 16 January 2023, TASS reported that the first batch of the Poseidon nuclear-powered UUVs had been manufactured.[9]
Combat history
[edit]Of the six systems, only two are known to have been used in action: the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, which has been employed in a non-nuclear capacity during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and 3M22 Zircon launched from the Black Sea onto land target.
In 2023, it was claimed that a Kinzhal missile had been shot down by the Ukrainian air defense forces using a MIM-104 Patriot missile defence system.[10][11][12] On 10 May 2023, the Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko showed fragments of the alleged downed Kinzhal missile for Bild journalists in Kyiv.[13] In contradiction to Ukrainian claims, Russian media reported that the fragments closely resembled the concrete-piercing BETAB-500ShP aerial bomb.[14][15] On 16 May 2023, Ukraine's air command claimed to have intercepted all six Kinzhal missiles that had been launched during a Russian attack.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Advanced military technology in Russia: Putin's 'super weapons'". Chatham House. 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Russia's novel strategic weapons: staying ahead of the Americans?". James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ Wesolowsky, Tony (2018-03-02). "'You Have Failed To Contain Russia': Putin In Fiery Address". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ "Factbox: What we know about Kinzhal, Russia's hypersonic missile". Reuters. 2023-05-16. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Kh-47M2 Kinzhal". Missile Threat. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ "Первый ракетный полк "Авангарда" заступил на боевое дежурство". TASS (in Russian). 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ Macias, Amanda (2018-08-21). "Russia is preparing to search for a nuclear-powered missile that was lost at sea months ago after a failed test". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ^ "Russian military brass, defense firm ink deal on advanced Sarmat ICBMs". TASS. 16 August 2022.
- ^ "First batch of nuclear-armed drones Poseidon manufactured for special-purpose sub Belgorod". TASS. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "Ukraine downs hypersonic Russian missile using Patriot defense system". Politico. 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Ukraine says it downed hypersonic Russian missile with Patriot system". Reuters. 6 May 2023.
- ^ Stern, David. "Ukraine says it shot down hypersonic Russian missile with Patriot system". Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ ""Kiew spricht von einem historischen Abschuss"" [„Kiev speaks of a historic shootdown“] (in German). Welt. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "В Сети высмеяли Кличко, перепутавшего «Кинжал» с обычной авиабомбой". osnmedia.ru. 11 May 2023.
- ^ Tiwari, Sakshi (11 May 2023). "Ukraine Flaunts Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile Shot Down By Kyiv". The EurAsian Times. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Kyiv says it destroys incoming missiles". Reuters. 2023-05-16. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
See also
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