Russia is the only country in the world that can boast a broad-spectrum hypersonic missile system. This makes Russia equal to Washington and Beijing, which are also developing their own hypersonic systems. The only difference is that Russia’s missiles are more advanced than those of other countries.

The development of this new technology showed an unexpected result: Russia may have lost its monopoly on hypersonic missiles. But it’s not a problem for Russian defense industry experts. They are seeking solutions to this problem and will soon have new developments in the global arms market.

The US military has started tests of a new hypersonic missile capable of reaching targets in Russia faster than any other country in the world. The Pentagon also uses anti-ballistic missiles that can travel at over 17,000 miles per hour (26,000 kilometers per hour). At least ten countries are developing hypersonic missile systems, including Russia to a much lesser extent.

Russia’s hypersonic missile cost

According to US media reports, the Pentagon is developing the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW) at the cost of $1 billion. It’s supposed to be able to beat Russia’s hypersonic missile. But Russian military technology is also gaining momentum. The Russian military has already tested its Avangard hypersonic system, which travels at speeds of more than 20 times the speed of sound and can reach any point on the globe within about 30 minutes.

The main thing is that Russia’s hypersonic systems are fundamentally different from those in other countries like the United States. Hypersonic technologies, such as the Russian Avangard, have a number of differences from those of other countries.

Russia’s hypersonic missile

Though hypersonic missile systems possess a number of similarities, they all have many significant differences, and these differences will play an important role in their development.

What are hypersonic missiles?

Hypersonic missiles are new weapons that use different approaches to get to their targets. Hypersonic missiles fly at very high speeds only by using air or space. Therefore, they are called “air-surface-surface” or “missiles-in-space.” It’s interesting to note that hypersonic missiles can be used as a weapon. They can also be used as a defense system, especially in other countries where the missile is not yet available.

Russia has been developing its hypersonic systems since 2003. The most advanced one is called the Avangard and is equipped with a maneuverable warhead that can reach targets at speeds of Mach 20 — far greater than any other missile in the world. It’s supposed to hit targets on American soil within less than 30 minutes after launch.

Russia’s advantage in building hypersonic missiles is due to its work in areas that other countries have not fully explored. For example, Russia has been working on air-breathing hypersonic technologies and ramjet technology that have increased the maneuverability of its missiles. The missiles can perfectly overcome the anti-missile defense systems currently in use by most countries.

Ramjet engines are developed by NASA to intercontinental power missiles and transform them into hypersonic vehicles. These types of engines can get to their targets faster than any other kind of engine. But Russia doesn’t have any plans to export this technology as Moscow is still developing it.

China‘s low-orbit missile

Many countries are working on hypersonic missiles. It’s not just Russia and the US. For example, China’s low-orbit missile is one of the most advanced in the world. Japan, South Korea, and Italy also have developed hypersonic missile systems in recent years or are developing them now.

It’s well known that Israel has been developing a new kind of warhead capable of penetrating any anti-missile system. Even the latest one developed by Russia and China that Russia says would be able to reach targets within minutes. However, using hypersonic missiles is still a matter of technical development and knowledge gained through experience in designing these kinds of weapons.

China’s low-orbit missile

In addition to defense and offense, hypersonic weapons also possess other capabilities that only a very few countries possess. For example, the Russian military has launched satellites using missile launchers that travel at speeds of more than 20 times the speed of sound. In this sense, Russia has reached a totally new level of technology. This is just the beginning of Russia’s use of missiles for space exploration, although it doesn’t have plans to build spacecraft using hypersonic technology.

Why does Russia build hypersonic systems?

It’s due to the outstanding performance of this kind of new weapon. No other country matches the pace of Russian development in developing these kinds of weapons or even comes close to what it can achieve with them. Most other countries are still developing these kinds of weapons and are only beginning to use them. But Russia has already made great strides in this area and is one of the leaders in this field.

The country is well aware that the missiles it built for attacking targets on land and sea are not able to reach all parts of the globe by nature. Russia, therefore, developed a new type of strategic missile system with a global range like hypersonic missiles. The Kalibr operates at speeds of up to Mach 10-13. The speed is higher than that achievable by any other weapon system in the world, including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and space vehicles.

Russia has developed a new type of missile system that can operate anywhere in the world. This kind of system is not only very fast but also very long-range. It’s built on land, but it can be used anywhere in the world, even on ships.

Other countries are developing missiles with a range of up to 4,500 km and even longer ranges. But no other country has a weapon like the Kalibr with such high speeds. And such great precision that it enables its use as an attack system. This high speed means that no other existing weapon comes close to matching it as an attack system for strategic targets. Such as enemy nuclear power plants and military bases, industrial facilities, and economic sites far from any battlefields.

Kalibr

The Russian military has already deployed the Kalibr to strike ground targets in Syria. And at least 50 such missiles have been fired. It’s also used against terrorist groups in other parts of the world. This is not a conventional weapon, and only a few countries possess it, including Russia, France, and India.

In addition to being able to be used on land, the Kalibr can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, and even submarines or ships capable of firing missiles underwater. In this regard, its performance is very different from any other weapon in the world that any country, including the US, can use.

The Russian military has developed a new system, the Years, which it calls the world’s biggest mobile land-based missile system. It can be used on land and underwater and can strike targets far from any battlefield at long ranges, which means it can hit strategic targets all over the world. The first time this kind of system was tested was in 2007.

Another important development is the Avangard hypersonic cruise missile developed by Russia based on a solid-fuel space launcher. It doesn’t require any moving parts during flight. It’s highly maneuverable and can fly to its targets from a considerable distance without being detected by anti-missile systems or even radar equipment.

Kalibr

The Avangard can be used in submarines, ships, planes, and even aircraft that are capable of using the most advanced radar technology to carry out early warning and interception. The missiles can also be launched from aircraft carriers with a landing platform where they can be pre-positioned before they are launched.

aircraft carrier

Such a system is unique. It’s been called a new generation of an aircraft carrier or an aircraft missile carrier, which sounds like something out of science fiction but is real in principle. Shipboard launchers are expensive to build and operate, but it’s no problem to use them on land, too, where they can hit targets at long ranges.

Russia has also developed a new kind of hypersonic missile that’s very small in size. It’s called Avangard-N. This weapon is easily camouflaged But it is also instantly ready for use. Because it’s stored as a solid fuel in rockets and can be launched at any time.

The main advantage of the Avangard-N is its ability to automatically maneuver to avoid anti-missile systems and enemy radar system. Plus whatever other defense measures the enemy has put up against it. It can operate both on land and underwater with total freedom of maneuvering while managing to reach its target without being intercepted by any anti-missile system or defense mechanism that might be put up against it.