In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Russia deployed MiG-31K fighter jets
armed with Kinzhal hypersonic ground attack missiles in Kaliningrad, the
Baltic Coast region.
When the West and Russia clashed over the Ukraine crisis, both sides
mobilized cutting-edge weapons. However, the deployment of the Kinzhal
hypersonic missile is an unusual move.
A video that has gone viral on social media shows fighter jets armed with
Kinzhal missiles landing at the Chkalovsk Naval base in Kaliningrad, a
Russian territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
The Kh-47 Kinzhal missile, which can be seen in the underbelly of the
MiG-31K, has an estimated range of 1,240 miles.
The missile is capable of carrying a 1,100 pound fragmentation warhead or a
500 kiloton nuclear warhead, which is 33 times more powerful than the Fat
Man bomb dropped by the United States (US) on Hiroshima.
The Kinzhal missile is capable of flying at nearly 10 times the speed of
sound (more than 2 miles per second) and following a flatter trajectory than
standard ballistic missiles, giving enemy air defenses less time to react.
The Kinzhal missile is more competent in precision strikes as well as
targeting moving targets with the help of a radar seeker.
In his State of the Union Address to the Federal Assembly in March 2018,
President Vladimir Putin revealed the project for the Kinzhal hypersonic
missile platform.
Putin praised the Kinzhal and other missile systems as "invincible" weapons
capable of evading enemy defenses as he declared Russia's superiority on the
ground. The missile first appeared to the public during the Moscow Victory
Day parade in 2018.
For the first time in June 2021, Russia deployed two interceptor aircraft
capable of carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to Syria for war games.
Russia has significantly increased its combat asset presence near Ukraine.
The EurAsian Times reports that Moscow has deployed the S-400 missile
defense system in Belarus, where it will be commissioned for combat duty as
part of an integrated air defense plan.
The region will no doubt become more volatile as a result of the arrival of
hypersonic missiles. The MiG-31K is not normally deployed at Russia's
Kaliningrad facility.
Although it is defended by a large ground force and is home to the Baltic
Fleet.
Russia and the nuclear-capable short-range Iskander missiles, most of the 50
aircraft stationed at the base are older Su-27 and Su-24 jets, with some
newer fighter jets such as the Su-30SM and Su-35S currently in service.
deployment preparations.
Recent reports on the MiG-31K, as reported by The EurAsian Times, Wednesday
(9/2/2022), are almost certainly aimed at strategic deterrence against NATO,
which gives its weight behind Ukraine.
In a tweet, military analyst Rob Lee speculated that a Kinzhal fired in the
Kaliningrad region could strike most Western European capitals. The Iskander
missiles in Kaliningrad can only target the northern outskirts of Berlin.
Moreover, Kinzhal released from Kaliningrad airspace might strike its target
in 7-10 minutes.
Although Russia has a large number of intercontinental ballistic missiles,
the deployment of the Kinzhal, a short-range, dual-capable missile, poses a
major challenge to the US-led NATO.
Why MiG-31?
Kinzhal must be fired from a high-altitude aircraft moving at high speed.
This is the reason why the MiG-31, a Mach 3 capable interceptor aircraft,
was chosen to carry the missile.
Only 10 to 20 MiG-31Ks have been upgraded to fire the Kinzhal. As a result,
the activation of the MiG-31K armed with Kinzhal shows how carefully the
Russian military prepares for various contingencies related to Ukraine,
including preventing NATO involvement.
The MiG-31BM was originally intended to carry the Kinzhal hypersonic missile
system.
However, according to Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, the MiG-31K was later
chosen as the carrier of the missile.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened NATO not to cross a
“red line” in Ukraine, stating that Moscow would be forced to respond.
He also pointed out the possible deployment of hypersonic missiles. “If some
kind of attack system appears on Ukrainian territory, the flight time to
Moscow is seven to 10 minutes, and five minutes if hypersonic weapons are
deployed. Just imagine," said Putin.
