United Aircraft Corporation
A Russian Su-57 stealth fighter in the air.
- Russia says its Su-57 stealth fighter jet will be armed with hypersonic missiles similar to the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
- Moscow claims that the new Kh-47M2, or Kinzhal, hypersonic missile can hit speeds of up to Mach 10 and have a range of 1,200 miles.
- But the missile will have to be a smaller version of the Kinzhal to fit in the Su-57's weapons bays.
Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter jet will be armed with hypersonic missiles, according to TASS, a Russian state-owned media outlet.
"In accordance with Russia's State Armament Program for 2018-2027, Su-57 jet fighters will be equipped with hypersonic missiles," a Russian
"The jet fighters will receive missiles with characteristics similar to that of the Kinzhal missiles, but with inter-body placement and smaller size," the source added.
Moscow claims that the new Kh-47M2, or Kinzhal, air-launched hypersonic missile can hit speeds of up to Mach 10, and has a range of 1,200 miles. The TASS report also said that "Kinzhal missiles are practically impossible to detect with modern air defense systems."
While many western analysts remain skeptical of the Kinzhal's capabilities, the missile appears to be an adaptation of the Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile that flies at hypersonic speeds.
In March, Russia successfully test fired a Kinzhal from a MiG-31BM, and is currently fitting it to a MiG-31K variant.
But the "missiles with characteristics similar to that of the Kinzhal" will have to be smaller than the actual Kinzhal to fit in the Su-57's weapons bays, according to The Diplomat.
The Russian military will reportedly receive a small batch of 12 Su-57s next year, but Moscow has yet to equip the fighter with the Izdelie-30 engine, which means it is not yet a true fifth-generation jet.