Russia's MiG-31 Interceptors Paired with Kinzhal Hypersonic Missiles for a Ship Hunting Role

New details have emerged regarding the capabilities of one of Russia's latest hypersonic missile platforms and its potential combat uses. One of several new missiles recently unveiled hypersonic platforms the Kinzhal 'dagger' missile is an air to surface platform tested for deployment from Russia's MiG-31 interceptors - allowing the fast and high flying combat aircraft to perform a strike role alongside their previous air to air combat role. As with other hypersonic platforms, the missile's speed leaves all existing air defence systems deployed by Russia's military rivals essentially useless and thus provides an excellent asset to Russia's strike capabilities - both tactical and strategic.

The Kinzhal was revealed to also be capable of performing an air to ship strike role at extreme ranges, targeting large and moving surface targets such as aircraft carriers and destroyers. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov stated in regard to the Kinzhal's strike capabilities: "This is a class of precision weapons which has a multifunctional warhead capable of striking at both stationary and moving targets." The minister confirmed that the MiG-31 would be used as the launch platform for the new missile, and stated regarding the missile's function that it "takes off into the air, accelerates to a certain speed at a high altitude, and then the missile begins its own autonomous movement."

Further elaborating on the Kinzhal's capabilities, Minister Borisov noted that the platform was designed: "to approach its target quickly, in contrast to cruise missiles, which fly at an average cruising speed of about 850-900 kilometres per hour (Mach 10.)" He further noted that the Kinzhal's aerodynamic control system enabled it to "maneuver during flight, and bypass dangerous zones containing anti-aircraft or anti-missile defense systems….It is this capability to maneuver in hypersonic flight in particular that makes it possible to ensure (the missile's) invulnerability and to guarantee target penetration."

The Russian-Indian jointly designed Brahmos air launched cruise missile, the fastest platform of its kind in the world which travelled well below hypersonic speeds at Mach 3, was known to tear warships in half with an single strike during testing due to the sheer speeds with which it would impact. The Kinzhal, striking at over three times the speed of the Brahmos and able to target enemy warships at distances of up to 2000km, is a truly lethal and unmatched anti ship platform set to shift the balance of power at sea decisively in Russia's favour. Its pairing with the MiG-31, the fastest modern combat aircraft in service with a formidable range and radar systems, allows missiles to be rapidly deployed in response to any attack near Russia's coasts. The missile is expected to disable even the largest enemy warships, including supercarriers, with a single strike. With the Russian military set to commission a new supercarrier with heavy fifth generation Su-57 fighters on its deck, modifying the Kinzhal for deployment by the fighters could well allow Russia to project power at sea against Naval forces many times larger by fielding unparalleled strike capabilities able to operate and great distances.