Zircon hypersonic missile hits target in latest test, says Russia

Russia on Monday, said that it had carried out another successful test launch of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. These missiles are hailed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of new generation of arms systems that are unrivalled

The missile was fired from Admiral Gorshkov warship in the White Sea. It hit a naval target more than 400 km ?(250 miles) away, said the defence ministry. The ministry said that this was its second test in a fortnight.

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A short video clip showed the missile illuminating the night sky with a burst of white light.

Meanwhile, Express has quoted a Russian source who has said that 'serial production' of Zircon missiles is underway in Russia.

The United States, China and North Korea are also involved in the contest to hypersonic missiles, the next generation of long-range weapons that are harder to detect and intercept. They travel at more than five times the speed of sound in the upper atmosphere, or around 6,200 km/hour (3,850 mph).

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Putin announced an array of new hypersonic weapons in 2018, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield.

(With inputs from agencies)