ALARMING footage shows the moment the Russian Navy fired a new anti-ship cruise missile code-named ‘Vulkan’ in a menacing threat to western navies.
By Tim McNulty
13:37, Sat, Oct 2, 2021 | UPDATED: 14:22, Sat, Oct 2, 2021
Terrifying moment Russia fires new ‘Vulkan’ cruise missile
Russia‘s Defence Minister has released a terrifying video from the launch of a new cruise missile that is able to target enemy ships more than 250 miles away. The Vulkan-type anti-ship missile was fire from a Russian Varyag class cruiser during naval exercises in the Pacific. The missile was shown flying through the air at high speed before striking a simulated enemy vessel amid mock drills in the event of a World War 3 scale military clash.
The launch comes following a similar test-firing by the Arctic Expeditionary Group of the Russian Northern Fleet on September 15 in the Barents Sea.
Russia’s P-1000 Vulkan missile is an upgrade on old Soviet-era designs which suffered from a shorter range.
The Vulkan missile can be deployed from surface ships while the similar Granit-type cruise missiles can be fire from one of the Russian Navy’s Omsk nuclear submarines.
Nicknamed the “aircraft carrier-killers” the Vulkan and Granit class of anti-ship missiles present a serious challenge for NATO planners.
Last month, the Ministry of Defence revealed Britain’s armed forces are to begin trials using laser weapons that could revolutionise the battlefields of the future.
On September 14, the MoD announced that a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate is to be fitted with the first laser device as part of the “novel weapons programme”.
The new system – operating without ammunition – will be used to “detect, track, engage and counter” unmanned aerial drones.
An additional laser weapon will be installed in an Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle to assess its capability against UAVs and other aerial targets.
Defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin said: “Directed energy weapons are a key element of our future equipment programmes and we intend to become a world-leader in the research, manufacture and implementation of this next-generation technology.”
The MoD’s director of strategic programmes, Shimon Fhima, said it was important for the UK to move quickly to exploit the new technology.
“These technologies have the potential to revolutionise the future battlefield for our armed forces, enabling the prosecution of new targets in the land, sea and air domains and allowing commanders to meet mission objectives in new ways,” he said.
“We must exploit at pace the cutting-edge technologies developed by the talented scientists and engineers across the UK to capitalise on its benefit.”
The MoD said “directed energy weapons” had the potential to provide troops with “unprecedented offensive and defensive flexibility” while cutting operating costs and reducing the risks of collateral damage.
A series of contracts worth around £72.5 million have been awarded to consortia headed by Thales and Raytheon to develop the new systems.
Trials will take place between 2023 and 2025 to assess whether they can be fully embedded into other defence assets.
The MoD said the programme would create at least 49 new jobs while securing a further 249.
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