Russia reports successful test launch of hypersonic missile

Addis Ababa, July 19, 2021 (FBC) – Russia has reported another successful test launch of a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, a weapon President Vladimir Putin has touted as part of a new generation of missile systems without equal in the world.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Monday the missile was launched from an Admiral Gorshkov, a warship located in the White Sea, in the north of Russia.

The ministry said the missile travelled at around seven times the speed of sound before successfully hitting a ground target on the coastline of the Barents Sea more than 350km (217 miles) away.

“The tactical and technical characteristics of the Tsirkon missile were confirmed during the tests,” the ministry said.

Russia plans to fit the Tsirkon missile system to its submarines and surface ships.

Putin has previously claimed the Tsirkon missile would be capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000km (620 miles).

Source: Aljazeera