Russia Tests New Anti-Missile Defense System Which Can Stop Attacks From Space

The Russian military successfully tested a new and advanced anti-missile defense system in Kazakhstan, capable of protecting against even space attacks.

According to a report published in the newspaper of the Russian Armed Forces Krasnaya Zvezda, the Kremlin defense forces successfully conducted another test launch of a new modernized missile of the Russian missile defense system, at the Sary-Shagan training range in Kazakhstan.

Elaborating on the new defense systems, Major General Andrei Prikhodko, deputy commander of the air defense and anti-missile defense association, said: “The new modernized anti-missile system of the missile defense system has successfully completed the task and struck a conventional target at the set time."

The report added that the new defense system, which was designed by the Aerospace Force, was capable of providing protection against air attacks as well as assaults from space. In addition, the modernized weaponry, which could fly up to four kilometers per second, could also “perform tasks in the interests of missile attack warning systems and space control.”

In a real time war situation, the new defense system, launched from a protected facility, could scale an impressive distance to destroy the warhead of Russia’s enemy.

The tests conducted by the Russian military were said to be one of the "hardest" as the new defense system is the first of its kind and no other missile in the world came close to the capabilities it boasted.

News of the new defense missile comes hours after reports of Russia successfully carrying out a military exercise involving the launch of a hypersonic missile from a strategic bomber.

The new Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, which was lauded as “invincible” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was seen in a video released by the Kremlin defense ministry, taking off with a MiG-31 fighter jet before releasing the Kinzhal missile, the Independent reported. The missile was seen shooting flames behind it before flying out of the frame.

According to the ministry, the drill "worked out planning, preparing and joint operating of Kinzhal missile systems and Tu-22m3 long-range bombers.”

The range of the Kinzhal missiles increase from 1,200 miles to over 1,800 miles, when mounted on the Tu-22m3, and they are deemed capable of travelling at the speed 10 times that of sound, sources at the Russian defense agency said. In addition, the strategic bomber is also capable of carrying a nuclear payload.

Putin boasted about the Kinzhal and other advanced military weapons being developed by Russia at a state address in March. The U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, however, seemed pretty confident at the time that there was no need to worry just yet.

“I saw no change to the Russian military capability and each of these systems that he’s talking about that are still years away, I do not see them changing the military balance," he said. "They do not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrence posture.”