Russian Navy's top officer admits the country's hypersonic Zircon cruise missile is suffering 'childhood diseases' and is still years away from entering service

  • Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said the 3M22 Zircon was to be test fired from frigates
  • But he said it would be at least a few years before the missile was operational 
  • President Vladimir Putin has proudly boasted of his supersonic arsenal
  • US are working on hypersonic missiles but they're yet to bring them into service 

The Russian Navy's top officer has admitted the country's hypersonic Zircon cruise missile is suffering 'childhood diseases.' 

Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said these issues - which he did not elaborate on - would take at least a few years to resolve before the 3M22 Zircon becomes operational.

President Vladimir Putin last month boasted of his country's hypersonic arsenal when he unveiled a land-based variant of the 'unstoppable' missile with speeds of Mach 9 (7,000mph).

The first sea test of the Zircon has yet to take place despite it being scheduled for the end of 2019, but Evmenov said it would likely be deployed from 'frigates.'

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Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said these 'childhood diseases' - which he did not elaborate on - would have to be resolved before the 3M22 Zircon becomes operational

Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said these 'childhood diseases' - which he did not elaborate on - would have to be resolved before the 3M22 Zircon becomes operational

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a new cabinet meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Last month he proudly boasted of his country's 'unstoppable' new land-based variant of the Zircon missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a new cabinet meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Last month he proudly boasted of his country's 'unstoppable' new land-based variant of the Zircon missile 

Putin (left) alongside defence minister Sergei Shoigu (second left), Admiral Nikolai Evmenov (black jacket) and Commander of the Russian Army's Southern Military District Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov (right) in the Black Sea earlier this month

Putin (left) alongside defence minister Sergei Shoigu (second left), Admiral Nikolai Evmenov (black jacket) and Commander of the Russian Army's Southern Military District Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov (right) in the Black Sea earlier this month

According to experts this would probably be the Admiral Gorshkov class ships.

Putin has said he believes that Russia is at the cutting edge of weaponry, unlike in the past when it was playing catch up with the United States.

In addition to the Zircon, he claimed last month that the first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle was set to go on duty, while the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have already entered service. 

Putin first mentioned the Avangard and the Kinzhal among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018.

Putin said then that the Avangard has an intercontinental range and can fly in the atmosphere at a speed 20 times the speed of sound. 

He noted that the weapon's ability to change both its course and its altitude en route to a target makes it immune to interception by the the enemy.

Speaking Tuesday, he described the Avangard as a 'weapon of the future, capable of penetrating both existing and prospective missile defence systems.'

A file photo from 2018 shows a display of a flight of the  Avangard hypersonic boost-glide warhead over Russia. Speaking at a meeting with top military brass last month, Putin said that Russia has a critical edge in designing a new class of weapons unlike in the past when it was catching up with the United States

A file photo from 2018 shows a display of a flight of the  Avangard hypersonic boost-glide warhead over Russia. Speaking at a meeting with top military brass last month, Putin said that Russia has a critical edge in designing a new class of weapons unlike in the past when it was catching up with the United States

The Kinzhal which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, pictured in an undated file photo, entered service with the Russian air force last year

The Kinzhal which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, pictured in an undated file photo, entered service with the Russian air force last year

The Kinzhal, which is carried by MiG-31 fighter jets, entered service with the Russian air force last year. 

Putin has said that the missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 1,250 miles and can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead. 

The military said it's capable of hitting both land targets and navy ships.

The United States and other countries also have worked on designing hypersonic weapons, but they haven't entered service yet.

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