Russian television host Vladimir Solovyov recently claimed that Russian hypersonic missiles have the capability of reaching London in just 9 minutes. Speaking on a segment on state television, Solovyov said, according toNewsweek:
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Everybody there is getting hysterical today because it can get to London from Belarus in 9 minutes.
Hypersonic speed is considered anything faster than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, equivalent to just over 100 kilometers (60 miles) per minute or about a mile every second, as per TheEurasian Times.
The Killjoy missile
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, also known as the Killjoy missile, is a nuclear-capable hypersonic aero-ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers, according to the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Newsweek reports. Solovyov went on to say:
The Killjoy missile also known as Kinzhal has a range of over 2,000 km and can reach a speed 12 times the speed of sound, 9 minutes and 'hello London!' or rather 'Hello and goodbye London’
The host’s distasteful comments will not be helping the de-escalation of the conflict as the war in Ukraine continues and similar comments were made in September with State Duma deputy Andrey Gurulyov stating his country could hit the United Kingdom with nuclear weapons and turn it into a ‘Martian desert’, as per Newsweek.
US and UK lagging behind
The hypersonic missile is being developed in numerous countries around the world with Russia, China and North Korea leading the way as they already have deployable hypersonic weapons. The Eurasian Times reports:
Many other countries are also developing hypersonic weapons technology. These countries include Australia, India, France, Germany, South Korea, and Japan.
Concerns about cost and how they would be used strategically has hitherto put off some western countries from the development of these missiles. However, back in April, the US, UK and Australia began cooperating on research into them and how to defend against them as part of the security pact known as the AUKUS partnership.
Whilst the US and Australia are developing the weapons, the UK has none and has no plans to develop them. The focus of the new venture will instead be on defence, as per the BBC.
Sources used:
- Newsweek 'Russian TV Host Brags About Missiles That Can Hit London in 9 Minutes'
- The Eurasian Times 'Hypersonic Hype? This Is Why US ‘Trails’ Russia, China & Even North Korea In Hypersonic Missile Development'
- BBC 'Hypersonic missiles: UK, US, and Australia to boost defence co-operation'
