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A Russian warship test fires a Zircon hypersonic cruise missile from a warship amid rising tensions with the US. Photo/Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense/Sputniknews
The test-firing of the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is the umpteenth time that other powerful nations are racing to develop similar weapons.
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Speaking at a government meeting on Friday (12/24/2021), Putin said that the missile salvo launch took place last night (Thursday).
“The tests were carried out successfully, neatly,” Putin said in televised remarks.
“This is a major event in the life of the country and a major step in strengthening Russia’s security and enhancing its defense capabilities,” he continued, as quoted by The Moscow Times, Saturday (12/25/2021).
The Russian Ministry of Defense was unable to provide further details when contacted by AFP.
Russia, the United States, France and China have all experimented with so-called hypersonic glide vehicles – defined as weapons that reach speeds of at least Mach 5.
Putin unveiled the development of the new weapon in his State of the Union address in February 2019, saying it could hit targets at sea and on land within a range of 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) at a speed of Mach 9.
US-Russian tensions escalated after Washington rejected some of Moscow’s demands put forward in a proposed security agreement between Moscow and NATO.
Putin has insisted that all NATO troops must leave the countries closest to Russia. In addition, he also demanded that NATO reject Ukraine’s membership application.
Moscow has threatened to deploy nuclear-capable weapons to Europe in response to a NATO troop buildup threatening Russia.
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