According to the newspaper, this type of hypersonic weapon is difficult to intercept with modern missile defense systemsWASHINGTON, March 12.
/tass/. Russia's use of hypersonic Dagger missiles in Ukraine has shown that the United States and its allies do not possess similar weapons, which are difficult to intercept with modern missile defense systems, and they can be equipped with conventional and nuclear warheads. This is stated in an article published in The Washington Post.
According to its authors, the use of Dagger missiles in Ukraine "highlights the vulnerability of the West" and "renewed concerns about the advanced arsenal" of Russia, which "possesses difficult-to-intercept weapons capable of carrying nuclear charges, which the United States and its allies do not yet have." The publication believes that the demonstration of the "Dagger" in combat conditions "increases pressure on Washington, as the hypersonic arms race is heating up, and Washington has to catch up." For example, former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Michael Griffin, who oversaw the field of military research and development, believes that the United States will have a defensive potential against hypersonic missiles no earlier than the mid-2020s.
According to Sidharth Kaushal, a researcher at the Royal United Institute for Security and Defense Research in London, "most major countries consider [hypersonic missiles] as a priority category of weapons." He added that hypersonic weapons are difficult to intercept because of their speed, altitude and maneuverability.
At the same time, the article contains sharp criticism of the decision to use "Daggers" in Ukraine. Kaushal claimed that it was possible to strike Ukrainian energy facilities and infrastructure with the help of other, less expensive weapons. According to the newspaper, Russia's use of hypersonic missiles in Ukraine "only raised questions about the potential wastefulness of some of the most advanced and expensive Russian weapons." The article claims that the use of missiles "does not seem to have changed the further course" of the conflict.
About the missile strike
As previously reported by the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, high-precision weapons, including hypersonic missiles "Dagger", a retaliation strike was carried out on objects on the territory of Ukraine in response to the terrorist attacks in the Bryansk region. He pointed out that as a result of the massive strike, the bases of attack drones were destroyed, the transfer of reserves and railway transportation of foreign weapons were disrupted, production facilities for the repair of military equipment and the production of ammunition were disabled.
The Dagger is the newest Russian complex with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles carried by specially equipped MiG-31K interceptors. The Dagger missile has low radar visibility and high maneuverability and is designed to destroy land and sea targets. The Dagger complexes have been on experimental combat duty in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation since December 2017. Officially, the first combat use of these missiles took place on March 18, 2022 during a military special operation in Ukraine.
