Russian President Putin Says The Russian Navy Will Soon Get Hypersonic Nuclear Strike Weapons

Reuters: Putin says Russian Navy to get hypersonic nuclear strike weapons

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday the Russian Navy would be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones, which the defence ministry said were in their final phase of testing.

Putin, who says he does not want an arms race, has often spoken of a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons that he says are unequalled and can hit almost anywhere in the world. Some Western experts have questioned how advanced they are.

The weapons, some of which have yet to be deployed, include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, which can be deployed on surface ships.

The combination of speed, manoeuvrability and altitude of hypersonic missiles, capable of travelling at more than five times the speed of sound, makes them difficult to track and intercept.

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Update #1: Putin pledges new hypersonic and underwater nuclear weapons: report -- FOX News
Update #2: Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile ‘proves its unique qualities’ as naval tests near completion – Defense Ministry -- RT

WNU Editor: Russian President Putin says he does not want an arms race. But this deployment of nuclear hypersonic missiles will guarantee one.