CNN
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent one of his country’s most modern warships, armed with advanced hypersonic missiles, on a long voyage through the Atlantic, through the Mediterranean and into the Indian Ocean, according to Russian state media. reported Wednesday.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov set sail from an unnamed port in northern Russia on Wednesday, TASS reported.
Putin boasted that the ship carries Zircon hypersonic missiles.
“There are no analogues in any country in the world,” Putin said, according to TASS. “I am confident that such powerful weapons will reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and help secure our national interests,” he added.
Russia will test the Zircon system in late 2021. According to contemporary reports, she fired from Admiral Gorshkov in the White Sea, striking a naval target more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) away.
The current mission is the first deployment in a potential combat situation.
“Major efforts during the campaign will focus on countering the Russian threat and maintaining regional peace and stability with friendly nations,” Shoigu said in a TASS report.
Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine is now in its 10th month, but the conflict was not specifically mentioned in the TASS report.
And it’s unclear if Zircon missiles could be brought into that war.
If it works as advertised by the Russians, it is a formidable weapon.
The US-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance describes the Zircon as a “maneuverable anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile” with a range of 500 to 1,000 kilometers (310 to 620 miles).
According to the Alliance, its speed has reached Mach 8, or 9,900 kilometers per hour (6,138 mph). Hypersonic is defined as speeds above Mach 5 (3,836 mph).
“If that information is accurate, the Zircon missile is the fastest in the world, and its speed alone makes it nearly impossible to defend against,” the alliance said on its website.
The site also points to the missile’s plasma cloud as another “worthy” feature.
Russia and China have surpassed the United States in hypersonic missile technology.this is the reason
“In flight, the missile is completely enveloped in a plasma cloud that absorbs radio-frequency light rays, rendering the missile invisible to radar.This allows the missile to remain undetected en route to its target. ”
Add to that the Zircon’s ability to change flight paths, and it becomes a very formidable weapon.
However, using Admiral Gorshkov-mounted Zircon missiles against Ukrainian targets is logistically difficult.
From the Russian point of view, the optimal firing range of the weapon would be from the Black Sea to the south of Ukraine. But to get there, Russian warships would have to pass through the Turkish-controlled Bosphorus, and Ankara said it would not allow such access for foreign naval vessels from the early stages of the war in Ukraine. It’s here.
Admiral Gorshkov could theoretically attack Ukraine from the northern end of the Mediterranean, but the flight path to Ukraine would pass through NATO countries and would be seen as a major escalation of Russian aggression.
TASS said Gorshkov is also armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, a weapon with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles), according to the CSIS Missile Defense Project. However, these weapons would face the same problems as the Zircon, even if they had a longer range.
Nonetheless, Admiral Gorshkov’s deployment has given Putin a positive story amid Russia’s heavy losses to Ukraine. There is Moscow, one of the most valuable warships, and Ukraine says it is attacked by missile forces.
Analyst Karl Schuster said the deployment would be as much a political statement for Putin as a military one.
“He is trying to show that despite the cost and international condemnation of his attack on Ukraine, Russia is still a global player.
“He can show domestic audiences that the international response is not as effective as it is being described in the Western media and that Russia still has friends in important areas,” said Schuster. “Internationally, he suggests that the sanctions have not affected the Russian navy’s operational capabilities and will continue to be a global maritime power.”
Putin praised the deployment of the military, according to TASS news agency.
“This is a great joint effort, and it has produced the desired results,” Putin said.
“In the coming decades, we will continue to develop advanced models of weapons and equipment that will protect Russia’s security and develop the combat capabilities of our armed forces. This is a promising weapon,” Putin said in a TASS report.
