South Front – Dec 23, 2022

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-surface missile proved to be highly effective and invulnerable to enemy air defenses during the special military operation in Ukraine, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov told a briefing for foreign military attaches on December 22.

The Kinzhal was one of six Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 1 March 2018. It saw it first combat use in the early days of the special military operation in Ukraine.

“For the first time, hypersonic weapons were employed in combat conditions. The Kinzhal airborne missile system proved to be highly effective and invulnerable to air defense capabilities deployed in Ukraine,” TASS quoted the military chief as saying.

Gerasimov went on to reveal that Russian long-range, precision-guided missiles struck over 1,300 Ukrainian crucial facilities in the course of the special military operation.

The military chief said that the strikes “significantly reduced the combat potential of the Ukrainian armed forces, disrupted the troop command and control system, paralyzed the work of the military-industrial complex and considerably impeded military deliveries.”

The Kinzhal was especially designed to overcome any known or planned NATO air or missile defense systems including the MIM-104 Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Aegis Combat System.

Rather than using the more recent hypersonic glide and scramjet missile designs, it uses the more classical ballistic missile technology at a hypersonic speed of Mach 10-12.

Because it flies at hypersonic speeds within the atmosphere, the air pressure in front of it forms a plasma cloud as it moves, absorbing radio waves. Thus, the missile can achieve what is called “plasma stealth”.

The missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers when launched from MiG-31K interceptors, and up to 3,000 kilometers when launched from Tu-22M3 bombers.

The hypersonic speed of the Kinzhal gives it better target-penetration characteristics than lighter, slower ballistic and cruise missiles. When armed with a 500 kg conventional warhead, the impact of the missile can generate more than 16.9 gigajoules of kinetic energy, or the equivalent of 4,000 kg of TNT explosives. The missile can be also armed with a 100–500 Kt nuclear warhead.

Despite of its speed, the missile can achieve pinpoint accuracy thanks to an advanced GLONASS-aided inertial navigation system and an optical homing seeker.

Gerasimov’s remarks about the Kinzhal may have been meant as a warning to Ukraine who is set to receive more air defenses, including at least one Patriot system, from the United States and other NATO states. If needed, the Russian military could use the unstoppable hypersonic missile to destroy new Ukrainian air defenses. President Putin has already stated that Russia is ready to “knock out” any Patriot system that will be supplied to Kiev.

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