Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a frigate equipped with supersonic missiles to the Atlantic Ocean, Reuters writes.
Hypersonic weapons can serve as a way to turn the tide of war due to their good maneuverability as well as their extremely high speed. In a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Putin announced that the frigate sent to the Atlantic Ocean will be equipped with Zircon hypersonic weapons. «The latest hypersonic missile system – Zircon – has been installed on the ship. I am sure that such powerful weapons can definitely protect Russia from external threats,» Putin said. He pointed out that Zircon has no analogues in other countries of the world.
The hostilities in Ukraine have been going on for more than ten months, and Russia has used hypersonic missiles there as well.
Moscow sees hypersonic weapons as a way to penetrate the elaborate US air defense systems.
Shoigu said that the frigate will go to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and to the Mediterranean Sea. He said that hypersonic missiles can defeat any anti-missile system. They can cover a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers and fly five times faster than the speed of sound. The Minister of Defense of Russia informed that the main purpose of the frigate trip will be to confront threats to Russia and maintain peace together with its friendly countries.
Meanwhile, the US reports that Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles are designed to be used with nuclear warheads. Given their high maneuverability, it is very difficult to determine the exact target of hypersonic missiles.
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