The hypersonic Kinzhal missile systems can destroy military ships, including air carriers, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Borisov told Krasnaya Zvezda in an interview.

“This is a class of precision weaponry which has a multifunctional combat unit, making it possible to work with both stationary and moving targets. In particular, aircraft carriers, cruiser-class ships, destroyers and frigates are potential targets for this weapon,” he said.

When describing the key characteristics of Kinzhals, Borisov said that its top speed of nearly Mach nine “enables it to reach an object in the distance rather quickly, in contrast to, say, cruise missiles, which fly at an average cruising speed of roughly 850-900 kilometers per hour”.
On March 11, the Russian Defense Ministry published a video showing the successful test launch of a Kinzhal missile from an airbase in the Southern Military District.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the addition of the new hypersonic missiles to Russia’s armament during his address to the Federal Assembly on March 1. He emphasized that the rest of the world does not have any comparable missiles.

The Kinzhal missile maneuvers throughout its entire flight. This is intended to enable it to bypass all existing and future anti-air and anti-missile defense systems.

  Kinzhal hypersonic missile, Russia

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