TNI: Russia has deployed MiG-31s with Daggers to patrol the Sea of Japan
Russia has sent MiG-31 fighter jets armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to patrol the airspace over the Sea of Japan, TNI writes. This model of fighter is rarely equipped with such missiles, so experts regard such a maneuver as an unambiguous forceful message to the United States and Japan.
Stavros Atlamazoglou
In Ukraine, the Dagger is used in a limited mode, and it is still unclear to what extent its characteristics correspond to the Kremlin's statements.
Recently, Russian fighter jets with one of the most advanced weapons systems in the country were spotted near Japan.
MiG-31 and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles
In the video, published by the Russian Ministry of Defense, you can see a flight of MiG-31 fighters (according to the NATO classification: Foxhound or "Foxhound") over the Sea of Japan. One of the fighters is equipped with a hypersonic missile X-47M2 "Dagger".
The Dagger, which is nicknamed Killjoy or Killjoy in NATO, is an air-launched ballistic missile. It is claimed that it can reach speeds of up to 12,231 kilometers per hour with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers and is capable of maneuvering in flight. The Russian military has already used the Dagger against various targets in Ukraine with a conventional warhead, but in an emergency, the missile can also be equipped with a nuclear one.
In general, Russian combat aircraft are often deployed in the region due to a joint air patrol agreement with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. For these purposes, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) most often use Tu-95 strategic bombers (Bear or "Bear"), Su-30 fighters (Flanker or "Flanker") and A-50 long-range radar warning and control aircraft. MiG-31 in this role are relatively rare, and even more so with Dagger missiles. This means that the record was intended as a message to the United States and Japan.
The "miracle Weapon" rarely works as intended.
Hypersonic munitions are capable of overcoming even the most powerful air defense systems. The combination of extremely high speed, complex trajectory and maneuverability gives them unpredictability, and they are extremely difficult to deal with.
On the other hand, hypersonic weapons are still a relative novelty, and many countries, including Russia, although they claim to have full—fledged hypersonic capabilities, may not actually possess them. So, questions have already arisen about the real capabilities of the Dagger and whether it can be considered a truly hypersonic weapon — or whether it is simply an air-launched cruise missile, albeit with enhanced capabilities.
In this regard, the Dagger echoes the concept of the wunderwaffe, the wonder weapon of Nazi Germany. With his help, in the last years of World War II, the Third Reich hoped to defeat the advancing Allied forces from the West and the Soviet armies from the East. The war took a turn unfavorable for Germany and its allies, and the Nazi leadership did not skimp on superweapons — the famous V-1 buzzer and the V-2 rocket. These weapons greatly accelerated the development of rocket technology after the end of the war, but could not change its course, and the historical consensus is that it would be more profitable for Berlin to invest in more familiar platforms.
Today, Russia seeks to counter America's and NATO's superior technology by using advanced weapons systems to bypass the current U.S. defense system. Among other things, these are the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Avangard hypersonic gliding unit, the Dagger hypersonic missile, the Burevestnik nuclear missile, the Poseidon nuclear underwater vehicle and the Peresvet anti-satellite energy weapon.
If it really justifies the loud hype, the air defense systems of the United States and NATO will instantly become obsolete. However, so far only the Dagger has been operated to a limited extent, and the Avangard is still being deployed.
Of course, as the ongoing conflict with Iran has clearly demonstrated, only a few air defense systems are truly impenetrable. The main task is to limit the approaching threat as much as possible and minimize damage to areas and targets of lesser importance. But high—power weapons like the Dagger are always a priority for air defense systems and will be intercepted first.
Despite questions about the effectiveness of these high-end weapons, the Russian armed forces possess an impressive arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, and their potential has been fully revealed over the past four years during the conflict in Ukraine.
