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Russia says it has test-fired another hypersonic missile
The Russian navy on Saturday conducted another test of a prospective hypersonic missile, a demonstration of the military's long-range strike capability amid the fighting in Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Northern Fleet in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile in the Barents Sea, successfully hitting a practice target in the White Sea about 1,000 kilometers (540 nautical miles) away.
[...] Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Zircon is capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and has a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Putin has emphasized that its deployment will significantly boost the capability of Russia's military.
Previously: Russia Reports First Combat Use of Hypersonic Missiles
US Tested Hypersonic Missile but Kept It Quiet to Avoid Escalating Tensions With Russia
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 30 2022, @04:48PM (2 children)
Not only, "Lookit this missile!", but also "Lookit the flight path!". If the ship launch was from the middle of Barents Sea the flight path would be roughly south. Changing that heading a bit to the west would put it in Finland, and a little further in Sweden. The reputed landing for the test was in the White Sea which is barely over 100km from the Russia-Finland border.
Since the weapon is designed for both ship and land targets, this is a direct threat against Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Not even thinly veiled...
(Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 30 2022, @06:25PM (1 child)
Change the heading a little to the east and it will be in Moscow.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 30 2022, @06:33PM
Hmmmmm, are you suggesting a way to re-program the missile aiming coordinates?
The launching ship would have to come in closer to shore, Moscow is quite a bit further from the Arctic Ocean coast, and is due-south of the White Sea.