Aircraft
Russia and India Test Hypersonic and Supersonic Missiles
New developments such as the Zircon and Brahmos pose new threats to large warships.
This scale model of the Indo-Russian Brahmos II hypersonic missile design, could also represent the all-Russian Zircon missile. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov). Inset: the latest test-firing of a Brahmos from an Indian warship. (Photo: Indian Navy)
This scale model of the Indo-Russian Brahmos II hypersonic missile design, could also represent the all-Russian Zircon missile. (Photo: Vladimir Karnozov). Inset: the latest test-firing of a Brahmos from an Indian warship. (Photo: Indian Navy)

Amid growing concern in the West about the vulnerability of large warships to very fast sea-skimming missiles, Russian news agencies have reported a successful firing test of the long-range hypersonic Zircon weapon. Coincidentally, India has recently been test-firing new versions of the medium-range supersonic Brahmos missile, which is a joint venture between India and Russia and is based on the P-800 Onix, one of several supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles in service with the Russian Navy. With Russian help, India is developing a hypersonic Brahmos II version, which could be based on the Zircon.

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