Russia's new hypersonic missile Gremlin for fifth-generation aircraft ready for tests

Russia to test new Gremlin hypersonic missile in 2022

Russia will conduct first tests of its new hypersonic missile called Gremlin already in 2022.

Against the background of the active development of hypersonic technologies, it became known that the tests of the new hypersonic missile called Gremlin, which is tentatively named as Product 70, would take place as early as next year. 

The new missile should have been put to the test in 2023, but it became possible to push the date to late 2022. 

Russia's state-of-the-art hypersonic missile Gremlin will be used as on-board weapon for fifth generation fighter aircraft. The new aircraft will thus get an opportunity to carry fundamentally new weapons. Against the background of the supplies of the new aircraft to the troops, the development of the new missile for them became a priority task. 

In the future, Gremlin missiles are to be used for long-range Tu-22M3 bomber aircraft, fifth-generation Su-57 fighters and, probably, Su-35 and Su-30 fighters.

Alexander Zelin, former commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, believes that the Gremlin will have a range of about 1,500 km and a speed equal to Mach 6. The main advantage of the Gremlin will be its compact size: it will be no longer than 4.5 meters and not heavier than 1.5 tons.

It will thus be possible to use the Gremlin as on-board weapon for not only the MiG-31 fighter-interceptor, but also for the long-range supersonic aircraft Tu-22M, as well as for Su-57, Su-30SM and Su-35 fighters.

It has not been reported whether the Gremlin missile will have a nuclear-capable warhead.

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