Kinzhal Advanced Hypersonic Missile

 Kinzhal Advanced Hypersonic Missile

Russia said that it had unleashed hypersonic missiles against an arms depot in Ukraine, the first use of the next-generation weapons in combat.

Kinzhal Missile

It is a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems. Kinzhal means 'dagger'.

The missile has a range of approximately 1,500-2,000km and can carry a nuclear payload or conventional payload of 480 kg.

The Kinzhal was one of an array of new weapons Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018. Putin had termed Kinzhal as "an ideal weapon".

This is the first time that Russia has admitted to using the high-precision weapon in combat.

Following launch, the Kinzhal rapidly accelerates to Mach 4 (4,900 km/h), and may reach speeds of up to Mach 10 (12,350 km/hr).

What is a hypersonic weapon?

They are normally defined as fast, low-flying, and highly manoeuvrable weapons designed to be too quick and agile for traditional missile defence systems to detect in time, according to Bloomberg.

Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons don't follow a predetermined, arched trajectory and can maneuver on the way to their destination.

The term "hypersonic" describes any speed faster than five times that of sound, which is roughly 760 miles (1,220 kilometers) per hour at sea level.

At hypersonic speeds, the air molecules around the flight vehicle start to change, breaking apart or gaining a charge in a process called ionization.

This subjects the hypersonic vehicle to "tremendous" stresses as it pushes through the atmosphere.

Types of hypersonic weapons

There are two main types of these weapons glide vehicles and cruise missiles.

Most of the attention is focused on the former, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to their target, because of the challenges of achieving hypersonic propulsion of missiles.

The missiles have engines called scramjets that use the air's oxygen and produce thrust during their flight, allowing them to cruise at a steady speed and altitude.

Who has these weapons?

US, China and Russia have the most advanced capabilities.

Several other countries are investigating the technology, including India, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and North Korea, which claims to have tested a hypersonic missile.

In fact, India is also closing in on having such weapons in its arsenal.

Last year, India successfully tested its hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), powered by a scramjet engine.

The HSTDV will serve as a crucial building block in the development of long-range hypersonic weapons, which will take at least another four to five years to become a reality.

: Types of Missiles

(1) Subsonic missiles

They travel at a rate slower than the speed of sound.

Most well-known missiles, such as the US Tomahawk cruise missile, the French Exocet, and the Indian Nirbhay, fall into this category.

These travel at about Mach-0.9 (705 mph), and are slower and easier to intercept, but they continue to play a significant role in modern battlefields.

They significantly less expensive to produce because the technological challenges have already been overcome and mastered.

Due to their low speed and small size, subsonic missiles provide an additional layer of strategic value.

(2) Supersonic missiles

They are the one that travels faster than the speed of sound (Mach 1) but not faster than Mach-3.

Most supersonic missiles travel at speeds ranging from Mach-2 to Mach-3, or up to 2,300 mph.

The Indian/Russian BrahMos, currently the fastest operational supersonic missile capable of speeds of around 2,100-2,300 mph, is the most well-known supersonic missile.