All observers of the war in Ukraine will agree: the conflict — which entered its thousandth day on Tuesday, November 19 — has propelled drones to the front. Millions, more than two million, crisscross the Ukrainian skies, and Russian territories, up to more than a thousand kilometers behind Russian lines. The drone is available on all terrains: naval, aerial, terrestrial (remote-controlled robots are not left out).
The war in Ukraine, however, has allowed Moscow to more widely deploy another military technology, in which its industry, along with that of China, is believed to be at the forefront: hypersonic weapons. Hypersonic missiles are maneuverable for a good part of their trajectory, and have the capacity to move and maintain speeds greater than Mach 5, that is to say five times the speed of sound (i.e. around 6,000 km at minimum hour), according to Benjamin Hautecouverture, senior researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research, for TV5 Monde.
Ukraine – Russia: military planes of the war
A first in a conflict zone
The first reports of Russia’s use of hypersonic missiles in conflict terrain date from the 24th day of its invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense then reported the sending of missiles deemed hypersonic to the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine. Their use in Ukraine is a world first for hypersonic weapons, according to experts.
Russia’s hypersonic arsenal includes the KH-47M2 Kinzhal (or Kinjal) and Avangard missiles, as well as the Zircon, details Forbes. The Kinzhal has been deployed several times against targets in Ukraine. Launched from a MiG-31K or Tu-22M3 aircraft at Mach 2.7, the Kinzhal uses rocket propulsion to reach a maximum speed of Mach 10. Russia’s other hypersonic weapon, the Avangard, is a hovering vehicle hypersonic designed to carry nuclear warheads, which has not been used operationally.
The power and speed of hypersonic missiles leave little room for doubt about their effectiveness, at least on paper. However, it appears that few units were launched by Moscow on Ukrainian positions. According to Forbes, the rollout has been limited by manufacturing challenges. So, missiles require advanced materials and engineering to be able to withstand high heat and intense pressure.
Its electronic components are advanced and difficult to assemble. Riddled with sanctions, Russia would not have been able to produce them on a large scale, giving priority to drone assembly lines and the tinkering of its Soviet tanks, the stock of which melts like snow in the sun.
Powerful, but vulnerable missiles
Furthermore, it has been observed in Ukraine that the hypersonic missiles currently being built are vulnerable to conventional air defense systems. On May 4, 2023, just over a year after Russia allegedly launched the first hypersonic missile, Ukraine claimed to have intercepted a Kinzhal for the first time using an air defense system. American Patriot. Twelve days later, kyiv reported having intercepted six, by the same means.
According to Ukrainian information from The Economist, the Kinzhal missiles shot down in May 2023 flew at speeds lower than expected of a hypersonic. Furthermore, a report from the Kiel Institute in Germany indicates that the Patriot’s interception rate against the Kinzhal is approximately 25%.
Few in number and vulnerable, Russian hypersonic weapons have therefore disappointed on the ground, and have therefore not brought the significant advantages sought by Moscow. The systems will, however, continue to progress in technicality, judges Forbes, stimulated by cutting-edge techniques such as artificial intelligence. And then, nothing will be able to prevent them from playing a vital role in the conflicts of tomorrow.
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