Kinzhal Advanced Hypersonic Missile

In News

• Russia has used its newest hypersonic missile called ‘Kinzhal’ to destroy a weapons storage site in Ukraine’s western region.
  • It is the first use of the nuclear-capable advanced weapons system in the Ukraine war.

Kinzhal Missile

• Kinzhal means ‘dagger’. It is a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems.
• Range:  Approximately 1,500-2,000km and can carry a payload of 480 kg.
• Following the launch, the Kinzhal rapidly accelerates to Mach 4 (4,900 km/h), and may reach speeds of up to Mach 10 (12,350 km/hr).

What is a Hypersonic Weapon?

• The term “hypersonic” describes any speed faster than five times that of sound, which is roughly 760 miles (1,220 kilometres) per hour at sea level, meaning these weapons can travel at least 3,800 miles per hour.
• At hypersonic speeds, the air molecules around the flight vehicle start to change, breaking apart or gaining a charge in a process called ionization.
• This subjects the hypersonic vehicle to “tremendous” stresses as it pushes through the atmosphere.

Significance

• Unlike ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons don’t follow a predetermined, arched trajectory and can manoeuvre on the way to their destination.
• They are fast, low-flying, and highly manoeuvrable weapons designed to be too quick and agile for traditional missile defence systems to detect in time.

Types of hypersonic weapons

• There are two main types of these weapons — glide vehicles and cruise missiles.
• Most of the attention is focused on the former, which are launched from a rocket before gliding to their target, because of the challenges of achieving hypersonic propulsion of missiles.
• The missiles have engines called scramjets that use the air’s oxygen and produce thrust during their flight, allowing them to cruise at a steady speed and altitude.

Who has these weapons?

• US, China and Russia have the most advanced capabilities.
• Several other countries are investigating the technology, including India, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and North Korea, which claims to have tested a hypersonic missile.
• In fact, India is also closing in on having such weapons in its arsenal.
• Earlier, India successfully tested its hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), powered by a scramjet engine.
  • The HSTDV will serve as a crucial building block in the development of long-range hypersonic weapons, which will take at least another four to five years to become a reality.

Source: TOI