Defence: Russia test-fires hypersonic Tsirkon cruise missile
New Delhi: Russia successfully tested a hypersonic cruise missile Tsirkon (Zircon) for the first time on Sunday evening.
Launched from a nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea, the missile is part of President Vladimir Putin’s arms systems for the new weapon generation, media reported.
Named after the Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz, the Barents Sea is a marginal sea in the Arctic Ocean that lies off the coast of northern Russia and is divided between the territorial waters of Norway and Russia.
The Russian Defence Ministry released video footage showcasing the upward and submarine-launched missile lighting up the night sky and illuminating the sea surface.
Regarding the test-firing of the Tsirkon missile from a warship in July 2021, the Russian Defence Ministry said in an official statement, “The Severodvinsk submarine had fired the Zircon missile previously while deployed in the Barents Sea, and had hit its chosen target.”
“The test-firing of the Tsirkon missile from a nuclear submarine was deemed successful,” the ministry said.
Russia’s new weapon advancement, its speed combinations, manoeuvrability, and tracking and interception disruptions caused by altitude are some popular questions that were asked.
In 2018, President Putin had announced launching an array of new hypersonic weapons that could evade a U.S.-built missile shield and destroy any place in the world.
(Avya Mathur)
