Ex-US Army officer says Russia's latest hypersonic missile delivers a 'strong message'
In a recent reflection, Stanislav Krapivnik notes that Washington's European “vassals” remained silent when Donald Trump withdrew the US from the INF Treaty. To explore this topic further, read the full article at RT.com.
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Washington’s EU “vassals” remained silent when Donald Trump withdrew the US from the INF Treaty, notes Stanislav Krapivnik.
Moscow's recent combat test of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, capable of reaching the entire European continent, conveys a "very strong message" to the US and the newly elected administration of President Trump, asserts former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik.
In an interview with RTN on Thursday night, Krapivnik elaborated on what President Putin referred to as a "combat test" during which Russia’s new hypersonic missile, named ‘Oreshnik’, successfully targeted a military industrial facility in Dnipro, Ukraine.
“First of all, it sends a very strong message to the United States, because let's not forget it was Donald Trump who exited the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which forbade a whole category of missiles – the very missiles that could have destroyed Europe. Interestingly enough, the European vassals said nothing against it,” he observed.
As Krapivnik explained, the US had already been working on its own intermediate-range ballistic missiles when it withdrew from the treaty, citing allegations that Russia was ramping up its missile development.
“Russia turned around and developed a missile relatively quickly, and not just any missile but a hypersonic missile that travels at Mach 10. To understand what Mach 10 means, it’s three kilometers per second; your eye can't catch how fast it goes by,” Krapivnik clarified.
While the specific technical details of the new nuclear-capable missile remain classified, Krapivnik estimates that it has a minimum range of 3,000 kilometers and can accommodate around a dozen multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.
“So the top opens up, and glide vehicles come out traveling at around Mach 10. Not all of them will carry nuclear warheads, as they are often used as decoys. This forces any defensive system to pick and choose its targets,” he detailed.
The challenge here is that it doesn't matter what targets the system chooses. There are virtually no anti-missile systems globally—except for the Russian S-550—that can intercept a hypersonic missile.
According to the Kremlin, Moscow informed Washington about the impending strike 30 minutes in advance through a designated contact line meant to mitigate the risks of nuclear confrontation. Krapivnik noted that while the US likely relayed the warning to authorities in Kiev, they remained unable to comprehend the nature or impact of the attack.
“This is the first demonstration of the missile's capability,” he stated. “You’ve got to remember one thing: two years ago, the US and its Western allies didn’t even believe that Russia had any hypersonic missiles because the prevailing attitude was, ‘We're rich, Russia's poor, and there's no way they can develop anything.’ Which shows absolute ignorance of the Russian economy and military capability.”
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
Moscow's recent combat test of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, capable of reaching the entire European continent, conveys a "very strong message" to the US and the newly elected administration of President Trump, asserts former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik.
In an interview with RTN on Thursday night, Krapivnik elaborated on what President Putin referred to as a "combat test" during which Russia’s new hypersonic missile, named ‘Oreshnik’, successfully targeted a military industrial facility in Dnipro, Ukraine.
“First of all, it sends a very strong message to the United States, because let's not forget it was Donald Trump who exited the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which forbade a whole category of missiles – the very missiles that could have destroyed Europe. Interestingly enough, the European vassals said nothing against it,” he observed.
As Krapivnik explained, the US had already been working on its own intermediate-range ballistic missiles when it withdrew from the treaty, citing allegations that Russia was ramping up its missile development.
“Russia turned around and developed a missile relatively quickly, and not just any missile but a hypersonic missile that travels at Mach 10. To understand what Mach 10 means, it’s three kilometers per second; your eye can't catch how fast it goes by,” Krapivnik clarified.
While the specific technical details of the new nuclear-capable missile remain classified, Krapivnik estimates that it has a minimum range of 3,000 kilometers and can accommodate around a dozen multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.
“So the top opens up, and glide vehicles come out traveling at around Mach 10. Not all of them will carry nuclear warheads, as they are often used as decoys. This forces any defensive system to pick and choose its targets,” he detailed.
The challenge here is that it doesn't matter what targets the system chooses. There are virtually no anti-missile systems globally—except for the Russian S-550—that can intercept a hypersonic missile.
According to the Kremlin, Moscow informed Washington about the impending strike 30 minutes in advance through a designated contact line meant to mitigate the risks of nuclear confrontation. Krapivnik noted that while the US likely relayed the warning to authorities in Kiev, they remained unable to comprehend the nature or impact of the attack.
“This is the first demonstration of the missile's capability,” he stated. “You’ve got to remember one thing: two years ago, the US and its Western allies didn’t even believe that Russia had any hypersonic missiles because the prevailing attitude was, ‘We're rich, Russia's poor, and there's no way they can develop anything.’ Which shows absolute ignorance of the Russian economy and military capability.”
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
