Three Russian missiles terrify the worldThese three Russian missiles are a "terrible" weapon with which Moscow threatens the West, writes Al Jazeera.
One of them is the most powerful nuclear missile with the largest target range in the world. Such weapons keep Europe and the United States from trying to provoke Russia.
In Russia it is called "Judgment Day", and in the West — "Satan". All these are the names of one rocket, the Sarmat, which will be tested throughout 2022. It is called the most powerful nuclear missile with the largest target range in the world. The first Sarmat will be on combat duty at the end of this year.
"Sarmat", "Dagger", "Zircon" and "Avangard" are "terrible" weapons with which Moscow threatens the West and its other opponents, especially after the start of the military operation in Ukraine.
Serial production of hypersonic cruise missiles "Zircon" has begun in Russia. Also, the production of hypersonic missiles "Dagger" continues. In addition, contracts worth almost half a trillion rubles were signed at the Army-2022 forum. This was announced last week by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
According to military analyst Ida at-Tufan, "scary" Russian missiles are one of the reasons that prevents the West from poking the "Russian bear" with a stick, which could provoke a third World War. No one is ready for it, and no one needs it.
He told Al Jazeera in an interview that the allies supply Ukraine with modern weapons, including HIMARS MLRS and howitzers, but do not want to send long-range missile systems, so as not to start World War III.
Eid al-Tufan, a former brigadier general of the Iraqi army, recalled the shock caused by the Russian hypersonic missile system "Dagger". Since then, the CIA has been trying to find out all the secrets of Russia's advanced weapons. The Ukrainian conflict has become an excellent opportunity for this purpose.
Which Russian hypersonic missiles have been repeatedly talked about in recent months of military operations in Ukraine? Should Moscow's enemies really be afraid of them?
"Sarmat"
The RS-28 Sarmat is an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of wiping out an area the size of Great Britain or France. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the first Sarmat strategic missile system will be adopted by the Russian army at the end of 2022.
Work on "Sarmat" began back in 2011. The complex was developed for the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) and became a replacement for the Voivode.
The RS-28 Sarmat (according to the NATO classification Satan-2) is a Russian strategic missile system that has become a full-fledged replacement for the RS-36M.
The missile weighs about 100 tons and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads weighing up to ten tons. It can deliver a nuclear strike 2,000 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Sarmat-2, which the Russians also call the "King of Rockets" and "Doomsday", runs on liquid fuel, and its launcher is located underground. It is capable of flying through the North and South Poles.
According to the Russian news agency Sputnik, the rocket has a new technology of its kind that can bypass almost any missile defense systems. One of the advantages is the relatively low weight, and the flight range is more than 11,000 kilometers.
The Sarmat missile can carry from seven to ten nuclear warheads. It has automatic control, is able to maneuver in flight and develop supersonic speed.
"Sarmat-2" is capable of changing altitude, direction and speed. The mines where the missiles are placed have a high degree of protection from a direct strike in the form of anti-missile and anti-aircraft complexes, and are also equipped with additional means of defense.
The Russian military claims that the Sarmat is a liquid—fuel missile and cannot be intercepted by modern air defense systems. The first test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile was carried out from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region on April 20, 2022.
"Dagger"
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently reported that the Russian army used supersonic Dagger missiles three times during a special operation in Ukraine.
According to him, no such missile in the world has such characteristics: the Dagger is a hypersonic missile capable of maneuvering along the entire flight path to accurately hit a target. It is noted that these characteristics allow the missile to bypass all kinds of air defense and missile defense systems. The Russian army uses the "Dagger" to strike at particularly important targets.
The warhead of the Dagger missile complex can be equipped with both a conventional warhead (for example, TNT) and a nuclear one. Its mass is approximately 500 kilograms. The Dagger is designed to be launched from combat aircraft such as the MiG-31 and Tu-22, and can also be launched from warships and submarines.
The Dagger missile is designed to destroy enemy warships, including aircraft carriers and frigates.
It is capable of hitting targets with sniper accuracy, and its deviation does not exceed a meter. The Dagger has an average speed of 5,000 km/h, which is more than four times the speed of sound (So in the text. In fact, the speed of the "Dagger" exceeds the speed of sound by ten times — Approx. InoSMI).
The maximum speed is 14,800 km/h, and the maximum range is 3,000 km. The rocket is capable of maneuvering throughout the entire flight.
In addition to the ability to change the flight path and maneuver, which allows it to avoid air defense, the missile is capable of destroying targets at a distance of 2,000 kilometers. This makes it much more difficult to detect and destroy it with all available means of air defense of a potential enemy.
"Zircon"
In March, new tests of a unique Russian weapon — the Zircon hypersonic missile, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called "invincible", were conducted.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that a hypersonic cruise missile "Zircon" launched from the Barents Sea, successfully hit a target in the White Sea, located at a distance of about 1,000 km.
It is noted that the launch took place as part of the testing of new types of weapons.
Hypersonic weapons can move at a speed nine times the speed of sound. Over the past year, Russia has conducted many test launches of the Zircon from warships and submarines.
The first launch of the Zircon hypersonic missile took place in October 2020. Then Putin said that this was a great event in the life of the country and a significant step in improving Russia's security and its defense capability. Subsequently, other tests were carried out, in particular, from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the submarine.
During the Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin announced that hypersonic missiles "Zircon" will be adopted by the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the coming months. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov will be the first to take up combat duty with this formidable weapon on board. The area of service of the ship equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles "Zircon" will be chosen based on the interests of ensuring the security of Russia.
Author: Ala al-Din Khadir (اللاء الدين خضر)
