Among many firsts, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine witnessed the first use of hypersonic weapons on the battlefield. Russia has employed the air launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile, also referred to as the “Dagger,” to strike targets in Ukraine on many occasions.
Hypersonic missiles travel at high speeds of Mach 5 or greater, fly at lower altitudes, and are maneuverable; they are thus considered to be difficult for current air defense systems to intercept. While the United States is still working to develop its own hypersonic weapon, China has already developed and deployed ground-, air– and sea-launched hypersonic variants.
As the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has yet to use these weapons in combat, Chinese analysts are likely keen to absorb lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine. This piece will review an article from a leading Chinese defense magazine entitled: “The Dagger Wielding Platypus: A Brief Discussion of the Su-34 Launching the Dagger Hypersonic Missile.” (The article, published in 《兵工科技》, is currently only available in print form.) While the Kinzhal was initially launched from Mig-31 fighter jets, Russia has recently outfitted the Su-34 “Platypus” (referred to in the West as the “Fullback”) with the ability to carry and launch the Kinzhal as well. This Chinese analysis discusses both the development of the Su-34 as a Kinzhal carrier and the actual performance of the Kinzhal in combat.
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