Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Konashenkov said that the ministry has analyzed the hypersonic air launched trajectory of the "Dagger" missileMissileThe impact on Ukraine's military infrastructure. In Ivano Frankivsk Oblast, the "Dagger" destroyed a large underground arsenal containing "Dot-U" ballistic missiles and aviation ammunition; In Mykolaiv Oblast, a large fuel depot was destroyed.

The flying scene of the "Dagger" accidentally captured during its first practical use, with white highlights indicating its extremely fast speed. The bullet body has become incandescent due to high-speed friction with the air, greatly increasing its destructive power. It is like an asteroid colliding with the Earth, producing tremendous kinetic energy!

Military enthusiasts all know that the "Dagger" missile is the latest hypersonic weapon developed by the Russian military. In 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a missile test video, in which a MiG-31 interceptor carrying a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal "Dagger" hypersonic missile flew to high altitude and dropped the missile. After the missile removed the tail fairing, the engine ignited and began to climb. Within a few seconds, the flight speed accelerated by 10 times the speed of sound, and the aircraft maneuvered throughout the entire flight to fly over the target at a high angle of attack, accurately destroying a quasi Ticonderoga class patrol ship on the target rangeForeign shipThe predetermined goal. The MiG-31 carrying a "dagger" is actually not spacious. The belly of the MiG-31 is flat, without the "tunnel" between the twin engines like the Su-27. The "dagger" is hung under the belly, and the ground clearance is very small.

The launch principle of this missile is very similar to the Soviet era air launched ballistic missiles, and its appearance is similar to the 9M723 quasi ballistic missileMissilebe similar. The "Dagger" missile has a total length of 7.8 meters, a diameter of 0.95 meters, a weight of 3.8 tons, and a warhead weighing 400 kilograms. It uses a single-stage rocket booster and does not adopt a wave body due to its simple exterior design of the 9M723 quasi ballistic missile. The conical nose fairing of the missile is disposable, with the length of the nose cone accounting for half of the length of the missile body. The side of the warhead cone has a rectangular antenna window that can receive various real-time signals to update flight planning data. The rear half of the missile body is cylindrical, and the tail is equipped with four triangular aerodynamic control surfaces arranged in an X-shape. The rear end is equipped with a drag reducing tail cover that avoids eddy currents when mounted. After a few seconds of missile deployment, the tail cover is ejected backwards and thrown off. It first flies along the trajectory in a parabolic shape, then flies in a straight gliding trajectory, jumps when approaching the target, and finally dives for attack. Russia claims a range of 2000 kilometers, but the range is generally only 1500 kilometers due to the height of the carrier aircraft deployment.

Konashenkov said that the "Dagger" missile was launched from over 1000 kilometers away and flew in less than 10 minutes. With hypersonic and ultra-high kinetic energy, the "Dagger" missile warhead destroyed underground weapon depots built during the Soviet era that stored special ammunition and missiles. When attacking the large fuel depot in Mykolaiv Oblast, the stealth and breakthrough capabilities of the "Dagger" missile rendered all enemy air defense and anti missile weapons ineffective.

From an equipment perspective, the "Dagger" is not considered an advanced weapon, but rather an air launched version of the "Iskander" missile. The Iskander has a dual cone warhead, but that is an aerodynamic configuration designed to assist in pulling up during re-entry, not for hypersonic gliding. The re-entry pull has a limited range extension effect, and the greater effect is to slow down during the lifting process, helping with fine aiming under the final stage of electro-optical guidance. When changed to 'dagger', in order to reduce resistance and increase range, the double cone was changed to a single cone. Compared to the additional booster added to the Iskander, which is discarded after running out of fuel, the main booster does not separate after running out of fuel and, together with the warhead, hits the target as a whole.Flap WingWorking with the gas rudder throughout the entire process is quite unique. Gas rudders generally have a limited lifespan and only operate during the ascent phase of ballistic missiles. Currently in flight, the gas rudder is used for coarse adjustment to compensate for the insufficient rudder effect of small-sized wing fins; Wings are used for fine tuning to improve adjustment accuracy, but smaller wings reduce drag and are beneficial for increasing range.

The technical level of the dagger may be controversial, but the symbolic significance of the first battle is indisputable. The first actual combat of the "Dagger" is an important chapter in the history of war. It is just the prelude to the practical application of hypersonic weapons, but it is still deafening.