SvetaPoln
10 March 2021
Rocket "Dagger" on MIG-31K. Photo: yandex.ru
The Russian Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missile system, stationed along its western borders in Kaliningrad, is capable of striking any target in Europe. Even without a nuclear warhead, such a missile has a huge advantage - non-interception - over any missile defense systems of NATO countries due to its high speed. This is exactly what Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called Moscow's non-nuclear deterrent. The Chinese online edition Sina writes about it.
It draws attention to the recent statement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that the basis of Russia's non-nuclear deterrent forces will be various-based hypersonic weapons. Currently, a number of hypersonic weapons have been developed for the Russian army, such as the Dagger, Avangard, Zircon and other new types of weapons.
“Today, only the Dagger missile system is the most mature weapon in Russia, capable of really threatening the entire West. Even without a nuclear warhead, the Dagger missile still has a huge advantage in the form of non-interception by modern missile defense systems due to its high speed, ”the article says.
It is noted that the "Dagger" missile system consists of two parts: a carrier and a missile.
“The carrier aircraft is the world's only heavy supersonic long-range fighter-interceptor MiG-31. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft can reach 46 tons, the maximum flight range is 3300 kilometers, and the combat radius is 720 kilometers. The biggest advantage of this aircraft as an advanced interceptor is that its flight altitude can reach 24,000 meters, making the MiG-31 the world's highest altitude fighter, and its maximum flight speed can reach Mach 2.83. All of this provides advantages for the launch of the Dagger missile. The missile itself has an average flight speed of more than Mach 5, and also has the ability to maneuver in the air and can penetrate any air defense system of NATO countries, Sina points out.
The publication emphasizes that even without the use of a nuclear warhead, the conventional warhead of the Dagger missile weighing 1 ton has an extremely powerful lethal force. Such a rocket, when using a high explosive, is capable of destroying reinforced concrete fortifications at a depth of more than 10 meters underground. Therefore, the use of conventional warheads is enough to create a huge threat for various purposes.
"Russia has also developed a special warhead for the" Dagger ", which can strike at sea targets, and its maximum range of 2,000 kilometers is enough to detonate it outside the combat radius of the aircraft carrier strike group," - specifies the publication.
“At present, the Russian army has deployed complexes of MiG-31 interceptors and Dagger missiles near its western borders, in Kaliningrad. The MiG-31s that have taken off from there, carrying the "Daggers", are enough to strike at any point in Europe. This is what Shoigu called a non-nuclear deterrent, ”sums up Sina.
EADaily recalls that the X-47M Dagger hypersonic aeroballistic complex is based on the Iskander ground-based missile system. The complex includes a missile redesigned for aviation use and a MIG-31 aircraft (MIG-31K modification) upgraded for its use. According to information from open sources, the modernized supersonic bomber-missile carrier Tu-22M3M is named as another promising carrier of missiles of the "Dagger" complex.
On December 17, 2020, during a large press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Russia would not get involved in an arms race that has been going on for a long time. According to him, Russia has a weapon that is already much more effective than that of other armies in the world, and when other countries approach its creation, Russia will already have another, more advanced one. Speaking about the creation of Russian hypersonic weapons, which are not a hindrance to Western missile defense systems, he mentioned the Avangard, Dagger and Zircon missiles. The President specified that the "Daggers" are already on alert.
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