A Russian warship armed with “unstoppable” hypersonic missiles is sailing towards the US coast in a show of strength, reports claim.
According to The Sun UK, the guided missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov has been closely monitored by Nato navies on its maiden voyage armed with 6,670mph Zircon weapons.
An unconfirmed Russian Telegram channel report says it was “spotted on radar in neutral waters of the Atlantic Ocean – at an effective salvo launch distance from the US coast”.
The nuclear-capable Mach 9 missiles have a reported range of 625 miles.
The Russian defence ministry has not commented on the latest report.
It comes after the Royal Navy intercepted the Gorshkov as it sailed through the English Channel earlier this month.
More recently the Russian vessel was tailed by the Portuguese navy in the Atlantic and was expected to sail round Africa.
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But radar monitoring sites suggest the Gorshkov made an unexpected diversion.
One report said it had separated from its escort tanker ship Kama in the Bay of Biscay and headed west.
The Kama continued its routing to the south, passing the Azores.
The Zircon “has no equivalent in any country in the world”, he said.
Putin went on: “I am sure that such a powerful weapon will allow us to reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and help ensure our country’s national interests.”
Moscow has boasted that the Gorshkov is “the most dangerous enemy of surface ships in the world’s oceans” now it is armed with the new hypersonic missile.
Last year, the Zircon was test fired from the Admiral Gorshkov in the Barents Sea and hit a target 625 miles away in the White Sea.
The frigate’s captain Igor Krokhmal has said previously: “No one will see the missile launch or its flight.
“They will only see when the missile hits the target.
“A surface target, a coastal target. I don’t think there will be anything to counter this in the next few years.”
The cutting-edge frigate Gorshkov was due to sail to the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean on this mission.
