Is Russia’s Hypersonic Missiles Strike on Ukraine a Desperate Attempt?

Finding it tough to take over Ukraine, Russia’s use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time to destroy an underground weapons storage unit in an urban settlement looks more like a desperate attempt to regain the lost momentum and win the war

By Girish Linganna

Admin Opinion

Russia is now going all out to threaten its adversaries. In the ongoing war against Ukraine, Russia declared that it used its Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time to destroy an underground weapons storage unit in an urban settlement. Vladimir Putin has indeed pulled out the most expensive and modern ammunition from his holsters—Kinzhal, meaning dagger. Designed and produced by the Defence Ministry in 2017, it is a nuclear-capable hypersonic aero-ballistic air-to-surface missile.

 

The Kinzhal (Kh-47M2) deployment has not been confirmed by any independent body. Igor Konashenkov had reportedly announced the use of the missile was to destroy the warehouse of missiles and aviation ammunition in Deliatyn, in the Ivano-Franivsk region of Ukraine. And, it borders Romania, which is a NATO member.

After the use of Kinzhal, Russia used Bastion-P Missiles to shake Ukraine’s confidence. In March, a video surfaced showing the K-300P Bastion-P coastal defence supersonic missiles striking ground targets in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence of Russia claimed that the missile destroyed a place that had stored a large arsenal of weapons and military equipment, including those supplied by the West.

 
Putin has never hidden the fact that his country has been investing money in building hypersonic missiles. He had proudly said that his country was the global leader in hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to track and intercept. They could hit any point on the globe and it could duck missiles from the US 

By reusing these indigenous missiles, Russia has created new threats to the West. Moscow announced that it would want to use the RS-28 Sarmat hypersonic nuclear missile to strike Britain. It can reach Britain in just 200 seconds, it is reported. This deadly threat comes following the decision of Finland and Sweden to join NATO.

Putin has never hidden the fact that his country has been investing money in building hypersonic missiles. He had proudly said that his country was the global leader in hypersonic missiles, which are difficult to track and intercept. They could hit any point on the globe and it could duck missiles from the US.

 

 Sarmat Use 

The RS-28 Sarmat can travel at no less than five times the speed of sound. Even so, the US has a hypersonic missile, Mach 5, which travels more than five times the speed of sound. The Mach number is the ratio of the speed of the aircraft to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium or air, which is represented with a numeral to indicate the speed of sound. The US’ quest is to match the capabilities of Russia and China in terms of hypersonic missile possession.

Now a minimum of two questions crop up – what is the difference between supersonic and hypersonic missiles? And, does India own a hypersonic missile system that is touted as the best in the world?

The hypersonic Kinzhal missile was first used by Russia during its military campaign in Syria in 2016. It can carry nuclear as well as conventional warheads, it has been reported. Why did Russia use this cutting-edge technology in mid-March, nearly a month after the commencement of the Ukraine invasion?

In very simple terms, hypersonic missiles travel faster than supersonic. Supersonic speed is the rate of travel that exceeds the speed of sound, also referred to as Mach 1 speed. The speed varies with changing altitudes. Higher supersonic speeds become hypersonic. They are Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. There are three types of hypersonics – low, hypersonic, and high, and the average speed is 3000 miles an hour. If the Kinzhal speed goes up to Mach 10, then the speed would be 12,350 km/hr. It can take a payload of up to 480 kg and is designed to be launched from MiG-31 fighter jets.

The hypersonic Kinzhal missile was first used by Russia during its military campaign in Syria in 2016. It can carry nuclear as well as conventional warheads, it has been reported. Why did Russia use this cutting-edge technology in mid-March, nearly a month after the commencement of the Ukraine invasion? The West sneered at Putin for showing off Russia’s weaponry after miserably failing to reign in Ukraine. Cynics say Vladimir has emptied his arms in vain and now he is left with the Kinzhal.

US President Joe Biden confirmed on March 22 that Russia had used hypersonic weapons. However, the rest of the details in the media areas are claimed by Russia. Some defence experts have commented that Russia’s claim that the Kinzhal is hypersonic is not correct because all ballistic missiles reach a hypersonic speed at some stage while in action. Maybe Russia has exhausted its stock of Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and hence the Kinzhal is pressed into service. Some analysts are of the view that the Kinzhal is the right system to destroy underground storage. Russia might have been using Ukraine as a testing ground to see the capabilities of its missiles.

What is worrying the West is Russia’s latest threat to target Britain with the 208-ton Satan-2 (RS-28 Sarmat). Russian state-media propaganda is that Russian hypersonic weapons can wipe out “Britain off the map.” Of course, the British media has reported that the British laser weapons mounted on ships could track Russia’s weapons and intercept them. The Satan-2 is an intercontinental super heavy ballistic missile, and it can become hypersonic by teaming up with any existing hypersonic missile to make a better impact on strike. It is one of the six new Russian strategic weapons.

What is worrying the West is Russia’s latest threat to target Britain with the 208-ton Satan-2 (RS-28 Sarmat). Russian state-media propaganda is that Russian hypersonic weapons can wipe out “Britain off the map.” Of course, the British media has reported that the British laser weapons mounted on ships could track Russia’s weapons and intercept them

India is working on hypersonic missile technology. And it goes without saying that it is behind America, Russia, and China. In September 2020, the Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully tested a hypersonic technology demonstrated vehicle (HSTDV). It is an air-breathing scramjet technology.

In collaboration with Russia, India is producing supersonic cruise missiles—BRAHMOS. It flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach, or three times the speed of sound. So far, 14,000 BRAHMOS have been made in India. It is also going to export them to the Philippines. On January 20, 2022, India successfully test-fired BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles, which have enhanced capabilities.

The DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, a rocket design bureau, have jointly launched BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, headquartered in New Delhi, to develop the hypersonic BRAHMOS-II. This would have a range of 1,000 km and a speed of Mach 8. So, India has a long way to go to show off its hypersonic missile strength.

Now the question is how come Russia, with all its latest arms and ammunition, is still finding it tough to take over Ukraine? The question has many answers, including the resilience of Ukraine with the massive support from the West and NATO. The strength lies in unity and not just missiles.

– The writer is an Aerospace and Defence Analyst & Director ADD Engineering Components (India) Pvt Ltd (An Indo- German Company).