Russia said it successfully test-launched a hypersonic cruise missile on Tuesday and claimed it hit a target in the Barents Sea, according to reports.
Valery Gerasimov, the Russian chief of the general staff, informed Vladamir Putin that the Zircon missile test strike had been launched from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, located in the White Sea.
The successful test was carried out on Putin's 68th birthday, Reuters reported.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting with elected heads of Russian regions via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
“This is a big event not only for the life of the armed forces but also for all of Russia, for the whole country,” the Russian president told Gerasimov.
Gerasimov said the missile hit its target 280 miles away in four and a half minutes after reaching hypersonic speeds of more than Mach 8.
The 3M22 Zircon is a scramjet-powered maneuvering anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile.
The launch comes amid tensions over arms control between Russia and the U.S. The last major nuclear arms pact in place between both countries is set to expire in February, according to the news organization.
Meanwhile, Putin has vowed to strengthen Russia’s military presence in the Arctic.
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Gerasimov added that Russian surface vessels and submarines would be armed with the missile when future tests are completed, Reuters reported.
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