China News Service, March 22 (Guan Na) 22 days after the launch of military operations in Ukraine, the Russian military launched the "Dagger" hypersonic missile for the first time.

　　However, American and Western officials and media's comments on this powerful weapon are a bit "sour".

Some Western experts said that Russia is "showing off its skills", and some media said that Russia just wants to gain a psychological advantage to "scare everyone".

On February 19, 2022, a MiG-31k fighter jet of the Russian Air Force parked at an airfield carrying a Dagger hypersonic missile.

Western media is a bit "sour": this is a psychological tactic!

　　Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov recently revealed that in a special operation carried out in Ukraine, the Russian army used the "Dagger" hypersonic missile for the first time on the 18th to destroy a large underground missile and aviation ammunition warehouse in Ukraine.

　　As soon as the news of the use of this hypersonic weapon in Ukraine came out, it quickly gained widespread attention and comments from the US and Western media.

　　However, when the Western media introduced this weapon, it also made people feel a sense of "sourness".

　　Dominika Kunertova of the Zurich Centre for Security Studies was quoted by the BBC as saying that Russia was "showing off" and that even if the Russian army used the weapon, it should be seen as a A special case, "because Russia does not have a large number of such weapons".

　　The British "Guardian" said that some experts said that the "dagger" will not have a major impact on the situation in Ukraine, except for "a certain psychological and propaganda effect", this missile will not change on the ground in Ukraine.

He added that the use of such missiles by the Russian military may indicate that "the other weapons of the Russian military are running out".

The British "Guardian" reported on the "Dagger" hypersonic missile.

Image source: Screenshot of the British "Guardian" report

　　After the European news station just quoted the Russian side to introduce the superior performance of the "dagger", the conversation turned and quoted Western military experts as saying that Russia may have exaggerated the capabilities of their hypersonic weapons.

　　The report also quoted military expert Pavel Felgenhauer as saying that using the Dagger would not give Moscow a strategic advantage, but more of a psychological one.

"It can scare everyone."

　　On the other hand, Bloomberg said that Russia's use of hypersonic missiles against Ukraine appears to mark a shift in its strategy to deal with its losses on the battlefield, which could signal a new phase in the conflict while showing the world its "rich firepower" ".

The US Defense Secretary responded: The Russian military wants to regain the initiative

　　On the 20th local time, US Secretary of Defense Austin said on the CBS program that the "dagger" did not bring subversive changes to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

"I think he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is using this weapon in order to regain control."

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Austin at the Pentagon in October 2021.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong

　　There are reports that while Russia has developed a range of hypersonic weapons, the United States has yet to develop such a weapon.

　　The United States has been actively developing hypersonic weapons since the early 2000s as part of its "Instant Global Strike" program.

　　In October 2021, foreign media reported that the U.S. Department of Defense encountered a setback when testing a hypersonic glide vehicle under development. People familiar with the test results said that the test of the booster rocket carrying the hypersonic weapon failed at that time.

　　In February 2022, Austin hosted more than a dozen hypersonic weapons industry executives to demonstrate the Pentagon's determination to accelerate the development of hypersonic weapons systems, according to the official website of the Arms Control Association.

The U.S. Department of Defense considers hypersonic weapon systems a technological priority.

　　In addition, a non-public version of the Pentagon test report also highlights concerns about the hypersonic missile defense system.

The DoD was unable to adequately simulate threats from hypersonic weapons, and therefore "needs to continue to pursue reproduction of these scenarios in models, simulations, and live-fire testing," the report said.

The invincible "dagger" in Putin's eyes

　　How powerful is the hypersonic weapon that the Western media pays close attention to and the U.S. military focuses on researching?

　　As far as the Russian "Dagger" hypersonic weapon is concerned, as an air-based ballistic missile improved from a land-based tactical ballistic missile, its biggest feature and advantage is its excellent penetration capability.

Image source: Screenshot of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report

　　According to reports, the "Dagger" can hit a target of thousands of kilometers. The ballistic trajectory of this type of missile can be adjusted throughout the process, and the ballistic trajectory is unpredictable, making it more difficult for the air defense system to track and intercept.

　　The carrying platform of the "Dagger" itself is the MiG-31 heavy-duty high-speed interceptor. Through multiple aerial refueling, the "Dagger" will have a great reach and extremely high maneuvering speed. The "dagger" of the heart.

　　The "dagger" with such superior performance was even praised as "invincible" by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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