Putin claims Russia is world leader on hypersonic weapons
Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin
boasted Tuesday of his country's "unique" advances in hypersonic
weaponry, saying other countries were "trying to catch up with us."
Putin
made the remarks at a Russian Defense Ministry board meeting, adding
that "not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone
continental-range hypersonic weapons," according to a transcript
released by the Kremlin.
Like Russia, both the US and China are also working on hypersonic projects.
Beijing said earlier this year that it tested a hypersonic aircraft,
while the US Air Force has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to
develop a missile.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual press conference in Moscow on December 19.
This time last year, Putin made similar claims, saying that the new hypersonic missile system would enter service in 2019 -- something that has yet to happen.
The
Russian leader has already publicly showcased a number of advanced
weapons that he says are capable of defeating US and NATO defenses,
including a missile that can deliver a warhead at hypersonic speed.
But
analysts have in the past expressed caution that Russia's boasts about
its military capabilities are not often backed up. And the country has
also seen significant setbacks, including a deadly accident earlier this year at a military test range.
While
the Kremlin has not confirmed specifics, the incident is suspected to
have involved a nuclear-powered cruise missile known as the Burevestnik
or Skyfall.
On Tuesday, an advanced
Russian Su-57 fighter crashed during a test flight in the Khabarovsk
region, Russian state news agencies reported.
State
news agency TASS cited military industry officials as saying that a
preliminary investigation concluded the crash was caused by a technical
failure of the aircraft control system.
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