Currently, the infrastructure is being equipped for parts of the Aerospace Forces, which will use the Kinzhal hypersonic aircraft missile systems, sources in the Ministry of Defense told Izvestia.
Arsenals for storage and sites for repair, maintenance and testing of hypersonic missiles are being prepared in several regions of Russia. Their locations were not disclosed.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the board of the military department in December last year said that the first aviation regiment of MiG-31 fighters with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had already been formed as part of the Aerospace Forces.
Last summer, two MiG-31K aircraft capable of using hypersonic missiles from the Dagger complex were temporarily airlifted to the Russian Khmeimim airbase in the Syrian Arab Republic. Their crews performed training flights in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, during which they completed the tasks of mastering the airspace of a strategically important region. Together with MiGs, the Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft and Tu-22m3 long-range bombers performed training flights. The participation of the latter in the maneuvers is not accidental. It is expected that the Tupolevs will also be able to arm themselves with Daggers in the future.
The missile-technical subdivisions of the Aerospace Forces must not only accept the hypersonic “Daggers”, but also ensure their storage, preparation for combat use, monitoring the condition and carrying out timely routine maintenance, military expert Viktor Murakhovsky told Izvestia.
Air-launched Dagger hypersonic missiles have been on experimental combat duty in the Aerospace Forces units since 2017. The first squadron of 10 MiG-31K long-range fighter-interceptors was deployed in the Southern Military District. The complexes were repeatedly used in military exercises in the south of the country and over the Black Sea.
“Dagger” in a scabbard: infrastructure is being prepared for hypersonic missiles
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
