Kinzhal – The Kh-47M2, simply called Khinzal (“Dagger” in Russian), is a Russian-made hypersonic ballistic missile with a speed greater than the speed of sound, which corresponds to Mach numbers greater than 5. In this case, the maximum speed is equal to Mach 10, ie higher than 11,000 km / h (to be precise, the final approach to the target is between 10,620 and 12,250 km / h) and has a range of 2,000 kilometers.
It is airborne and launched by the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31, interceptors, which in turn are supersonic aircraft specially modified because they were older, Soviet, and developed in the 70’s and entered service in the 80’s. The Khinzal, on the other hand, which was developed in the first decade of 2000 and entered experimental service with the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2018, was first used by the Russians in the Ukraine conflict to destroy a “large underground munitions and missile depot”. in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, in the west of the country.
zircon – Technically, 3M-22 Zirkon (in Russian “zircon”, mineral for shine, very similar to diamond) itself is a Russian-made hypersonic cruise missile designed with an anti-ship vocation to take down large naval units, including aircraft carriers and cruisers, to neutralize and destroyers, but capable of intercepting both sea and land targets at a distance of not less than a thousand kilometers; It can travel at speeds close to Mach 9 (about 11,000 km/h) and at altitudes between 30 and 40 km, where the air is thinner and friction is lower.
It is currently in a trial phase and is currently destined for the Russian Navy: in fact, in the summer of 2021 the first order was signed by the Russian Armed Forces and in November 2021 mass production began. The last test of which official news was announced took place in mid-December 2021. “The launch from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov was carried out in the White Sea region to a target on the shore of the Chizha firing range in the Arkhangelsk region. The flight of the rocket corresponded to the expected parameters, the launch was considered successful and the target was hit,” the Defense Ministry reported in a statement published by the Russian press.