The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday it had used hypersonic Kindzhal missiles to destroy an underground weapons depot in Ukraine. These maneuverable missiles challenge all air defense systems.
The war in Ukraine began with the traditional offensive of armored vehicles, artillery and aviation. An alarming technological turnaround has just taken place. The Russian Defense Ministry said it used hypersonic missiles to destroy an underground weapons depot in western Ukraine.
The use of this type of weapon is the first. They were designed to carry out very accurate attacks over long distances, but above all, without the possibility of intercepting them. This efficiency is based on their speed (up to 10 times the speed of sound), their ability to cover distances of several thousand kilometers, and their ability to maneuver.
Finally, in order not to be detected by radar in time, they can fly over the planet in gliding mode or in low orbit. It is almost impossible to know the target and protect it. It is clear that these missiles are capable of revisiting deterrence-based strategy, as pointed out by Ifri (French Institute of International Affairs) in June 2021. report titled “Hypersonic weapons: what are the challenges facing the armies?”.
“Hypersonic is no longer seen solely as part of a nuclear deterrence strategy, but also for ground and anti-ship strikes,” Ifri points out, recalling that the technology is designed to “pretend to strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour.” […] larger naval units, but also land targets.”
Currently, three countries will have these weapons, which call into question the deterrence strategy: Russia, China and North Korea.
US and European concerns
Russia has been testing these missiles for several years now. She developed two types: ballistic, Kinzhal (“dagger” in Russian), which was to be used in Ukraine. Tested in 2018, they hit all their targets at a distance of more than 1000 km. They are equipped with MiG-31 military aircraft.
Russia also has Zircon cruise missiles. tested by Moscow in the White Sea in 2021 from a surface ship and from a submarine at a depth of 40 meters.
“The arms budgets allocated by our ‘partners’ are useless against this missile,” promises Andrey Kartapolov, former deputy defense minister and now head of the Duma Defense Committee. He claims that a volley of several “Zircons” will be able to destroy several aircraft carriers at the same time.
The advance of Russia, as well as China, worries the United States and Europe. Last year at the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada, US Space Force Vice Commander David Thompson acknowledged that the US is lagging behind in this area. The Pentagon plans to have hypersonic missiles by 2024. The Navy plans to deploy its own version of the missile on destroyers in 2025 and on Virginia-class submarines in 2028.
To deal with the hypersonic attack, Washington commissioned three American defense giants – Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman – to develop interceptor missiles. $60 million deal signed with the Pentagon.
In Europe, France is also working on this issue. In 2019, Secretary of the Armed Forces Florence Parly announced a program aimed at developing hypersonic airframe. In May 2021, during a visit to Crey Air Base in Oise, the minister revealed that tests were to take place at the end of 2021. Were they carried out? BFM Business has asked this question to the Ministry of the Armed Forces several times, but has not yet received an answer.
