Russian military says they fired hypersonic missiles against Ukraine as reported by Al Jazeera and video of a spokesman of the Russian MOD
Sorry, but I do not buy it. I watched that other vid but I do not buy it.
For starter, at the speed and altitude that video showed, that is subsonic or at best just over Mach 1. Current hypersonic philosophy does not have the missile slow down for any reason. You go fast and stay fast until impact.
Second, you develop a new weapon when the enemy have something that you cannot reach with your current weapons. Not only that, if you have that new weapon, you still do not use it just for the sake of using it or even to frighten the enemy.
Basically, what enemy of Russia have assets that Russia's current weapons cannot reach? The US. Russian subs have US subs. Russian aviation have US aviation. Russian surface warfare ships have US surface warfare ships. Russian ballistic missiles have US THAAD and Patriot. In other words, speed is the only thing the US, and everyone else for that matter, have a difficult time to counter. There is nothing in Ukraine that the Russian military cannot reach with their current weapons. Russia and China hypersonic weapons are for US, not for smaller neighbor states.
But let us say that what Russia claimed is true, that Russia used hypersonic weapons against Ukraine. What does that say about the Ukraine situation? That the Russian military failed. Am USAF and I have been generous to the VKS beyond reason, but I have my limits. The VKS -- sucks. Russian ground troops can no longer count on air support. So Russia had to use their latest/greatest weapon to destroy some Ukrainian artillery? Or airfield? Or fuel depot? What?
Kyiv is 12 hrs drive from Moscow or about 900 km. But did that hypersonic missile launched from Moscow or from the Russia-Ukraine border which is 300 km? Mach 5 is about 3800 mph or 6800 kph. What kind of threat to Russia does Ukraine (Kyiv) have that must be destroyed in 2 min 30 s ? Forget about Kyiv. What does Ukraine have and where that must be destroyed in 5-7 minutes? Am not saying that hypersonic missile cannot be used. Am asking why? Can I use a grenade to kill a housefly? Absolutely. But why? Unless it one gigantic mutant housefly.