Posted on 12/27/2018 7:15:07 AM PST by C19fan
Russia has tested a new hypersonic anti-ship missile that can travel a blistering 6,138 miles an hour, or 1.7 miles a second. The missile, known as Zircon, will attack ships at sea and land-based targets. It is in all likelihood unstoppable by modern air defenses.
CNBC reports that Russia has tested the Zircon anti-ship missile five times, with the latest test occuring on December 10. The December test hit a top speed of Mach 8, or 6,138 miles an hour. CNBC quoted two anonymous U.S. government officials with direct knowledge of an intelligence report on the test. The latest test proved the Russians were capable of achieving sustained flight—a difficult goal in hypersonic flight research.
The network’s source also said that it was clear Zircon was being diversified away from being a purely anti-ship missile to also strike land targets. It is expected to enter production in 2021 and service with the Russian Navy in 2022.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
The flip side is that an object going that fast will be difficult to accurately hit a small target such as a ship at sea.
How do they protect the Launch sites ?
I would assume we have similar capabilities, although who knows at this point. Ultimately, defense and wars are going to be decided by who has technological superiority. Maybe time to start building drone ships that are expendable.
And anything going that fast would probably quickly disintegrate if it’s damaged in the slightest...
“It is in all likelihood unstoppable by modern air defenses”
That’s hilarious
Pumping up the hype machine
“Ya can’t stop a bullet with a bullet!” they said back in the ‘80s about SDI
Beg to differ.
Doesn’t need to be accurate if it carries a tactical nuke...just in he ballpark will do..
Hey Governer Brown Moonbeam,
the Zircon can send passengers from California to Las Vegas at high speed Mach 8, which is much faster than your bullet train.
I suggest you reverse the missle direction to send your Liberals out to sea.
as long as their isn't a fingerprint on the optics, a laser beam can travel 186,000 mph or >25x faster.
Well we toyed with hypersonic weapons, namely Sprint and Spartan missiles...Sprint was as fast if not a tad faster than the Russian model.
My question is: can they hit a target with it? Isn’t it extremely difficult to control an object moving at such speeds in an environment with gravity, atmoshphere, wind and other weather effects? Wouldn’t such an object have to generate spectacularly high temperatures that make sensitive electronics hard to protect and control?
186,000 miles per second.
See a hypersonic arms race beginning...pretty hard to defend against something moving a mile a second.
I think you are mistaking the speed of light. It’s actually 186,000 miles/second and not 186,000 miles per hour. By quoting it in miles per hour, you are making it 3600 times slower.
Do not question President for Life Putin’s technology.
The next super weapon is the game changer.
The flip side is that an object going that fast will be difficult to accurately hit a small target such as a ship at sea.
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Close is good enough with a tactical nuke.
CNBC quoted two anonymous U.S. government officials with direct knowledge of an intelligence report on the test
Soooo CNBC admits to receiving classified intelligence...
Terminal corrections to steer a missile going that speed to target are going to be an absolute bitch.
Speed works two ways.
Rail guns are that fast with incredible accuracy.
True with the nuke, I was commenting about the kinetic kill only.
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