Lagatar24 Desk
Moscow, Oct.4: Russia, on Monday, said that it has successfully test-fired a Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile from a submarine, a weapon that President Vladimir Putin has hailed as part of a new generation of unrivalled weaponry systems.
The Severodvinsk submarine fired the Tsirkon missile while deployed in the Barents Sea, according to the defence ministry, which tested firing the missile from a warship in July.
The missile was seen soaring skyward from a submarine in low-quality video footage given by the ministry, its shine lighting up the night sky and illuminating the water’s surface.
“The test firing of the Tsirkon missile from a nuclear submarine was deemed successful,” the ministry said.
Some Western scientists have questioned how advanced Russia’s new generation of weapons are, while acknowledging that hypersonic missiles are difficult to track and intercept due to their combination of speed, manoeuvrability, and altitude.
Parts of film showing Russia’s advanced new S-500 surface-to-air missile system looked to have been intentionally obscured in July, making it difficult to analyse in depth.
In one of his most bellicose statements in years, Putin promised a slew of new hypersonic weapons, claiming they could target practically any point on the globe and bypass a US-built missile shield.
