Trump renews claims: Russia stole US hypersonic designs

Trump believes that an unknown individual handed plans related to hypersonic weapon construction to Moscow. "Russia stole the design; they got it from us," he said on Fox News. "Some bad person gave them the design," he added. However, as noted by Defence Blog, the former U.S. president did not provide any specific information on this matter. He assured, however, that the United States will soon have its own "super-hypersonic missiles," which will be better than those of other powers.

Trump made similar accusations against Russia back in 2023. The Kremlin then denied taking over secret data regarding U.S. hypersonic technologies. Defence Blog reminds us that Trump is not the only person who suspects Russia of stealing information related to U.S. weapons. This narrative is also supported by American diplomat and lawyer John Bolton, who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019.

Delays related to the creation of the American hypersonic weapon LRHW (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon), also known as Dark Eagle, are creating a significant gap between the hypersonic capabilities of the United States and other powers - Russia and China. These two countries are also intensively working in this field. Furthermore, they have already managed to implement various types of hypersonic weapons.

In the case of China, these are the DF-27 missiles and their air-launched variant YJ-21. Meanwhile, Russia boasts the Ch-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, 3M22 Zircon missiles, the Avangard system, and the recently revealed Oreshnik missiles. Iran and North Korea are also often mentioned among the alleged possessors of hypersonic weapons.

Avangard is classified as an HGV (Hypersonic Glide Vehicle) weapon, which means it's a hypersonic glide vehicle launched as a payload of an intercontinental ballistic missile such as UR-100NUTTH, R-36M2, or RS-28 Sarmat. According to the Russians, the vehicle can travel at speeds exceeding 21,600 km/h and perform evasive manoeuvres, making it very difficult to intercept with current missile defence systems. The Kremlin claims that Avangard has a range of over 6,000 km, a weight of about 2,000 kg, and can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads with a yield of over 2 megatons of TNT equivalent.

Another system is the Ch-47M2 Kinzhal, a hypersonic ballistic missile launched from MiG-31K fighters. Its speed reaches up to 12,320 km/h, and its range is approximately 2,000 km. It is designed to strike land and sea targets, including aircraft carriers and fortified structures. A significant advantage is its ability to be launched from an aircraft, increasing its mobility and complicating detection.

Russia has also developed the 3M22 Zircon, a hypersonic anti-ship missile that can be launched from surface ships and submarines. Its speed is about 9,700-11,100 km/h, and its range is estimated to be over 1,000 km. It is designed to destroy strike groups, especially American aircraft carriers, and key strategic targets on land.

The newest addition to Putin's hypersonic arsenal is considered to be the Oreshnik missile. Its exact specialisation remains unknown. Some experts believe Russia developed it based on the RS-26 Rubezh missile with the intention of carrying nuclear payloads and travelling at speeds reaching even 12,320 km/h.