Russia Test-Fires Zircon Hypersonic Missile That Can Travel Nine Times The Speed Of Sound

Russia said it successfully test-fired Zircon hypersonic cruise missile that can fly at nine times the speed of sound with a range of 1,000 kilometers in a surprise announcement to world powers including the United States and China who are racing to develop advanced hypersonic glide vehicles that could reach speeds of at least Mach 5.

The Russian defense ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov warship launched a Zircon missile at a target in the Barents Sea at a range of 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) Monday, AFP reported.

"The target was hit," the ministry said. A short video clip also showed the missile illuminating the night sky with a burst of white light.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about Zircon in an address in February 2019, saying it could hit targets at sea and on land with a range of 1,000 kilometers and a speed of Mach 9. He had then stressed how the deployment of Zircon would significantly boost the capability of the Russian military.

Zircon had undergone several recent tests, and Monday's was the latest in a series. The missile, set to enter service next year, will be equipped in warships and submarines.

An earlier report by Military.Com had mentioned how advanced and fast the Zircon missile is. The report, quoting Popular Mechanics, claimed that even if a U.S. ship were to detect a Zircon missile from 100 miles away, it would have only one minute to do something about it. To intercept it, the U.S. would either need to do it at launch or fly an object into its path, the report added.

The latest test comes days after the media reported that China carried out a hypersonic glider test flight in July. The test witnessed the mid-flight firing of a missile at more than five times the speed of sound over the South China Sea. However, China denied the report, saying it was a routine test of a reusable space vehicle.

The move came as a surprise to Washington as up until then, no country had displayed comparable mastery of a mid-flight missile launch.

Russia has been developing several weapons that circumvent existing defense systems, including the Sarmat intercontinental missiles and Burevestnik cruise missiles. Recent satellite images showed it preparing to test the nuclear-powered 'Burevestnik' missile as part of its advanced weapons program. The missile, known as 'Skyfall' is designed to defeat US defense systems, said a CNN report.