Ten MiG-31 fighter jets (NATO reporting name: Foxhound) fitted with the air-launched Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile are on test combat duty, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said in an interview published on the Zvezda TV channel website on Saturday.
“It is a cutting-edge weapon, namely a hypersonic long-range missile capable of overcoming air and missile defenses. It is invincible, having serious combat might and potential. The MIG-31 is its carrier as the jet is the most fitted for accelerating this missile to required speeds,” he said.
“In support that it is not something exotic, [I’ll say] today ten jets have gone on test combat duty and are ready for use depending on the situation,” Borisov said.
The project of the Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missile platform was unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly on March 1.
According to the Russian president, the Kinzhal missile flying at more than 10 times the speed of the sound is capable of maneuvering and overcoming existing and future air defense and anti-ballistic missile defense systems. Since December 1, 2017, Kinzhal hypersonic missile systems have been on experimental and combat duty.
Initially, the MiG-31BM was named as the aircraft to carry Kinzhal hypersonic missile systems. Later, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the MiG-31K had been picked as a carrier for Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
Borisov also said that Peresvet laser combat system is likely to be shown at a Victory Day parade in Moscow in a span of two or three years, as now it is being upgraded.
“I think it is possible in two or three years, since the work is underway to upgrade the complex. If today it requires rather many support vehicles, it will be quite compact soon. Perhaps, we will show it to the public, too,” Borisov said when asked if the laser system would be presented during the Victory Day parade.
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http://tass.com/defense/1002992
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While our children walk around with their pants down, can’t roll a joint without using a cigar wrapper; these Russians are really getting on with military science. Too bad we can’t use the same energy to expand the Human condition. Maybe once we rid ourselves of cancer affecting the world, eg. the deep state/NWO/a-holes/black nobility/Rothschilds/Zionist Crime Factory. Or what-ever you wish to call them. Maybe then we can progress as we should.
It seems like Russia is using some of their Mig-31DZ airframes that cannot be upgraded to Mig-31BM, due to their internal structure, as the basis for the Mig-31K. Keeping as many of the 45 upgraded to Mig-31BM as they can in their traditional role as interceptors.
These 10 aircraft are in the Southern Military District, overseeing southern Russia/the Black Sea/Eastern Med. Whilst a lot of the publicity on them has been in an anti-ship role, like the Harry S Truman now attacking ISIS from the eastern Med, obvious potential targets are the AEGIS Ashore sites in Romania and Poland.
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