Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by sudosysgen 1496 days ago
Russia also has an air-breathing hypersonic missile with a scramjet engine - 3M22 Zircon. It is being field-tested and is already starting production after more than a dozen successful tests including hitting moving target - making them much further in development than HAWC which only recently managed to fly for any distance without blowing up and never actually struck a target.

So your impression is not correct. The Russians and the Chinese actually are much further along for all classes of hypersonic missiles.
1 comments
thereddaikon 1496 days ago
No they don't. They claim they do but if you believe Russian claims after the last three months then I can't help you.

They steal money from their military to buy yachts and mansions. Russia's wunderwaffe are not operational. The US spends more on its nuclear arsenal alone every year than Russia spends on its entire military. Where is the T-14? Where is the Su-57? They exist in propaganda videos and parades. That's it. You wont find them or zircon on the battlefield. Russia can't even afford to mass issue red dot sights to their infantry. Something America did 20 years ago. Do you really think they can afford some ridiculous scramjet cruise missile that does nothing to improve their national security?

link
sudosysgen 1496 days ago
Do you know why I believe them? Because of this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kholod?wprov=sfla1

The Russians/Soviets flew hypersonic missile prototypes before the millennium (at hypersonic speeds) - and NASA verified it. I see no reasons they can't do it again.

The rest of your response is not relevant.

And besides, if the Russians really lied about these tests conducted within US AWACS range, they'd be called out. That they haven't is tacit confirmation.

link
thereddaikon 1494 days ago
A test article form the cold war proves nothing about what's going on today. And a test does not mean there is an operational weapon. The US has been testing scramjets for years very publicly but I know you will be the first to jump up and say they don't have an operational weapon.

Russia cannot afford to field these wunderwaffe. Its simple economics.

link
eternalban 1496 days ago
(Kamil Kazani has excellent threads on RF and Russia in general. Recommended reading.)

https://nitter.net/kamilkazani/status/1526323072483065857

Russian ex-Military and his prophetic (uncannily precise) predictions of what awaited RF in Ukraine and world at large. He discusses the fabled missiles in passing. (Google translate does a good job.)

https://nvo.ng.ru/realty/2022-02-03/3_1175_donbass.html

link