[The World Through Weapons] Can Russia's 'Kinjal' Missile Really Penetrate THAAD?

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, a hypersonic cruise missile mounted on the MiG-31 fighter jet. [Image source=Russian Ministry of Defense website/http://mil.ru/]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Around Christmas last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally showcased a Russian weapon to the world. It was a cruise missile named 'Kinzhal.' This missile, called "dagger" in Russian, was touted by President Putin as a fearsome weapon capable of piercing through the U.S. THAAD system as well as all existing missile defense systems. Putin claimed that Russia is the only country possessing hypersonic cruise missile technology that flies at Mach 10 (approximately 12,240 km/h).

According to Russia's TASS news agency, on the 24th of last month (local time), during a meeting with Russia's top military generals, President Putin emphasized that "Russia is the only country in the world capable of deploying hypersonic weapons," and that the Kinzhal missile has been deployed in combat. The Russian military began test-firing the Kinzhal missile in the Arctic earlier last month and recently conducted live-fire training in the Black Sea.

Carried by MiG-31 fighter jets and launched mid-air, this missile reportedly has a range of 2,000 km and can be deployed against ground targets or aircraft carriers and warships. Because its top speed reaches Mach 10, Russia claims that interception missiles from systems like THAAD, which launch at speeds around Mach 6 to 7, cannot shoot it down. Since the warhead can be equipped with nuclear weapons, it is attracting global attention as not just a tactical weapon but potentially a strategic weapon.

The appearance of the Su-57, a stealth fighter jet that Russia reportedly developed to counter the US F-22. [Image source=Russian Ministry of Defense website/http://mil.ru/]

Originally, conventional cruise missiles were highlighted for their advantages over ballistic missiles, such as flying at lower altitudes and having higher accuracy. They also have the advantage of being able to change course mid-flight, but their speed is generally below Mach 1 and they tend to be large, making them vulnerable to interception by air defense missiles. However, hypersonic cruise missiles reportedly combine the advantages of cruise missiles while flying at speeds comparable to ballistic missiles at low altitudes, making them sound like invincible weapons.

But despite these impressive claims, the Russian government has yet to release videos demonstrating Kinzhal’s performance or reports of impressive combat achievements. The Russian government asserts that the Kinzhal has undergone multiple combat tests in the Syrian civil war, but whether it truly possesses the invincible capabilities President Putin claims remains uncertain. Especially as confidence in Russia’s S-400 missile defense system declines, skepticism about Kinzhal’s combat effectiveness is also increasing.

Missile launcher vehicle of Russia's S-400 missile defense system. [Image source=Russian Ministry of Defense website/http://mil.ru/]

The S-400 is a system Russia boasts as surpassing all U.S. missile defense (MD) systems. It claims to be able to intercept ballistic missiles entering at speeds above Mach 10 and even detect and intercept stealth fighters with radar. However, Syria’s air defense network, which adopted the S-400, reportedly failed to properly intercept cruise missiles such as Tomahawks fired from U.S., U.K., and French warships. It is also known that the Israeli military’s F-35 fighter jets sent for reconnaissance were not detected at all.

Moreover, on the same day President Putin boasted about the Kinzhal, the Su-57 stealth fighter?developed by Russia to counter the U.S. F-22?crashed due to mechanical failure, further undermining confidence. The Russian government had also boasted that the Su-57 underwent multiple combat tests in the Syrian civil war and advertised it as having superior performance at one-third the cost of the F-22, so the disappointment among potential customer countries was significant. Until Kinzhal’s actual combat capabilities are clearly revealed, it remains uncertain whether it can truly penetrate all missile defense systems.