Russian Defences Can Down Any Western Hypersonic Missile, Firm Almaz-Antey Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Western hypersonic missiles pose no threat to Russia because the nation's domestic missile defence systems are capable of shooting them down, Pavel Sozinov, general designer at the defence concern Almaz-Antey said on 24 August in an interview with Sputnik.

In July 2020, the US revealed a plan to develop hypersonic missiles capable of flying at velocities 17 times the speed of sound and labelled by then-President Donald Trump as "super duper".

"We can deal with any hypersonic missile, either existing or that can be created in the near future", Sozinov stated.

The high speed of the missiles themselves entail no repercussions because any hypersonic missile can only reach maximum speeds at high altitude, and while approaching the target and entering the atmosphere, it loses speed, the general designer elaborated.

"These 'super missiles' developed abroad pose no tangible threat to us, and we know how to develop further in this sphere", Sozinov added.

The Almaz-Antey defence concern has long been living in a "hypersonic reality", as almost all of the ballistic missiles its defence systems are aimed at intercepting, are hypersonic, and Almaz-Antey's defence missiles themselves are capable of attaining hypersonic speeds.

Russia is a pioneer in developing hypersonic weapons, with its cutting-edge Avangard missile unveiled in 2018 and deployed in 2019.

Almaz-Antey is Russia's leading corporation in the defence-industry sector, comprising over 60 hi-tech companies, specialised in developing air defence systems, radars, and control systems. The corporation, established in 2002, has developed such missile defence systems as the S-400, the Tor, and the Buk, and holds a top position on the international defence supply market.