Russia launches new hypersonic missile

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 19 Jul 2021 by Alex Teddy
On July 19 the Tsirkon cruise missile was tested again. Putin boasted that this weapon is invincible. Over the past few years Russia has said that its new generation of weapons would give it a decisive advantage in any conflict. The Defense Ministry was eager to distribute videos demonstrating the missile destroying a target in the Barents Sea off the coast of northern Russia. The missile has a range of over 1 000 km and can fly at Mach 9. Tsirkon was announced to the public in February 2019. The missile will be fitted to warships and submarines. Moscow claims that this and other new weapons systems cannot be stopped by any countermeasures. The Sarmat intercontinental missiles and the Burevestnik cruise missile are examples of these supposedly unstoppable weapons. Testing the Burevestnik caused a rise in radiation levels where it was tested. Why is the Kremlin bragging about these missiles now? The recent row over the Black Sea is a reason to remind NATO of Russian military prowess. The government also wants to divert public attention from economic woes and the uptick in coronavirus. With parliamentary elections in September 2021 the Kremlin needs to change the narrative. Beefing up the armed forces was a major plan of Putin's campaign in 2018.

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