Russia’s new hypersonic missile needs more testing before adoption

Russia’s new-generation Zircon hypersonic missile needs more testing before it can enter service and this will take some time, state news agency TASS cited the head of the company that makes it as saying on Friday.

TASS quoted Alexander Leonov, director of NPO Mashinostroyeniya, as saying that adoption of the missiles was “not a quick procedure”, and that it would involve “a certain amount of testing”. It was not clear what form this would take.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a reported range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.Russia, China and the United States are in a race to develop hypersonic weapons and Russia has been testing the Zircon since at least 2017, heralding it as a major step forward in its military rivalry with western countries.

Last year, Russia’s defence ministry said that one of its frigates had practiced launching the missiles in the Atlantic Ocean. Moscow has also said it is equipping new nuclear submarines with Zircons.