Russia Test Launches New Hypersonic Intercept Missile - It's Quick

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
Remember when the Russian submarine Kursk sank? Supposedly, it was an accidental explosion while they were testing a new super-fast type of torpedo.

The Shikval a rocket powered super cavitating torpedo.

a reply to: Bluntone22

It is very interesting, i hope they use the tech to get towards the Moon, Mars and beyond quicker as well as just a weapon of war.

a reply to: buddha

I don't think its a fake video.

To be fair you dont and cant see the missile even frame by frame, all there is is whistle, bang, whoosh, an orange explosion and flame, and a lot of smoke.

originally posted by: Spacespider
I bet it looks fast because its a deep silo, with room to speed up before exit.

Nope. The missile is launched out of a tube carried on a Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) vehicle. It looks to me like the tube is covered by a breakaway (frangible) covering and the missile is shot right through it.

The US had a system very comparable to this back in the early 1970s called the Sprint missile. This is basically a point-defense anti ballistic missile. That means that it is located near the target of a ballistic missile rather than near the launch point of the ballistic missile. If you're going to do point defense, you have to wait until the incoming missile is very close. That means your interceptor has to get up to meet the incoming missile very, very quickly (on the order of 10 seconds). That's why you need Mach 27 speed.

That kind of speed down low in the atmosphere leads to extreme heating of the nose of the interceptor. On the Sprint missile, the nose cone actually got hotter than the rocket nozzle on the other end of the missile. They handled that kind of heating the same way they handled it on a re-entry vehicle--they used Carbon-Phenolic ablation coatings. The ablation of the nose cone coating carries heat away from the structure behind it and delays the heat from soaking back into the metallic support structure. By the time the metallic structure would get hot enough to soften and lose strength, the interceptor is already at its target.

a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

You know all the money we spend on nuclear weapons and defence every year? Trillions of dollars? Correct? Trillions. Instead, if we spent that money feeding and clothing the poor of the world,which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, not one, we could, as one race, explore outer space together in peace forever.

Bill Hicks

originally posted by: Bluntone22

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

The Russians said it was a torpedo fuel leak.

I distinctly remember reading that it was an experimental super-cavitating torpedo. Supposedly those things can hit speeds in the neighborhood of 200 mph. Underwater.

Could be I guess but I doubt the Soviets would use one of their nuclear missile subs to test an antiship torpedo.

That's like using a B52 to test a antiaircraft missle.

There was also a rumor of a collision but as far as I know the Russians claim a fuel leak in a torpedo.

Of course. You wouldn't give away what you were actually testing, as that would result in your adversary doing it/learning to defeat it.

Impressive missile launch. I wonder if we have developed a missile like that that is good at hitting it's target?

originally posted by: rickymouse
Impressive missile launch. I wonder if we have developed a missile like that that is good at hitting it's target?

en.wikipedia.org...(missile)

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: MerkabaTribeEntity

You know all the money we spend on nuclear weapons and defence every year? Trillions of dollars? Correct? Trillions. Instead, if we spent that money feeding and clothing the poor of the world,which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, not one, we could, as one race, explore outer space together in peace forever.

Bill Hicks

Amen 🙌

That thing does not hang around.