Russia test fires Zircon hypersonic missile

MOSCOW: Russia said on Thursday it had carried out another successful test of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, one the latest additions to the country’s arsenal of weapons called “invincible” by President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow has in recent years touted the development of weapons that it hopes will give it the edge in any arms race with the United States at a time of growing tensions with the West.

Hypersonics can travel more than five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in mid-flight, making them much harder to track and intercept than traditional projectiles. The military said on Thursday it had fired the Zircon missile from the Admiral Gorshkov warship and hit a test target in Russia’s Arctic waters.