RUSSIA’S 4,600mph MISSILE
Threat to our £6bn carriers
RUSSIA has built a hypersonic missile that could wipe out our most sophisticated warships.
Kremlin military chiefs claim the Zircon flies at 4,600mph – nearly six times the speed of sound.
Experts fear one could sink either of the Royal Navy’s two new £6bn aircraft carriers in a single strike. The cruise missile is powered by a “scramjet” – an air-breathing jet engine. With a range of up to 500 miles, it can carry nuclear warheads.
A senior defence source last night said the search- and- destroy Zircon, fired from land or submarines, was a “potential game changer”. It would easily outpace the Royal Navy’s Sea Ceptor, designed to down missiles at 2,300mph.
Military experts believe the missiles could make aircraft carriers redundant. A Naval source said: “They are virtually unstoppable. Carriers would have to stay out of range. Their planes would be useless.” Zircons could be fitted to a nuclear-powered cruiser by 2022. Russia is believed to have restarted a programme begun by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Naval expert Pete Sandeman said: “Defence against hypersonic missiles is a huge challenge to surface ships.” The Royal Navy said: “We do not comment on Force Protection measures”.