Ukraine claims Russia recently fired a new missile, boasting a flight time of 15 minutes and a speed exceeding Mach 11. This claim immediately sparks debate, raising questions about the novelty and strategic implications of this alleged feat.
The speed itself, while impressive at over 8,000 mph, isn’t entirely unprecedented in the world of ballistic missiles. Existing technology, like the US Minuteman II missile from 1965, achieved speeds well in excess of Mach 11, reaching approximately Mach 22 at its peak. This suggests that the speed, while notable, may not represent a genuinely groundbreaking technological advancement.
The context of this missile launch is crucial.… Continue reading
In response to Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles, Russia launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, striking Dnipro. President Putin characterized the launch as retaliation and warned of further action against any country aiding Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory. The Oreshnik, described as hypersonic and capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, prompted concern from the U.S., which was notified prior to the launch. This incident marks a significant escalation in the conflict, with both sides engaging in increasingly aggressive actions.
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Russia used an advanced hypersonic missile for the first time in a recent strike, according to Ukraine’s claims. This news caught my attention, and I decided to dig deeper into the details. It seems that the missile in question is called the Zircon, which has raised some skepticism among experts.
One argument against the Zircon being a true hypersonic cruise missile is that it resembles the Soviet-era P-800 Oniks, which is not a scramjet design. Scramjets are known to be technologically challenging to build, requiring active cooling systems and larger rocket boosters. However, the Zircon has the same weight as the P-800 but boasts a larger warhead, which experts believe is not technically possible.… Continue reading
Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker