US prepares ‘Mach 20’ missiles to destroy advanced Russian missile defence systems; Moscow responds with two weapons named..

The USA is in the process of upgrading non-nuclear attack capabilities with various flexible hypersonic weapon systems. Here's why Russia is worried.

In a significant development bolstering the US Army and Navy, the United States of America successfully completed integrated testing of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB). In addition to this, the Army also plans to integrate a version of the CHGB system, called the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), into a mobile land platform.

The USA is also in the process of upgrading non-nuclear attack capabilities with various flexible hypersonic weapon systems. The LRHW, an initiative of the US Army, is designed to target with exceptional speed and precision from a distance of up to 2,253 kilometers.

US Navy readies Conventional Prompt Strike system

Meanwhile, the US Navy is readying to release the Conventional Prompt Strike system, intended to be deployed from submarines and naval vessels, including the Zumwalt-class destroyers by 2025 and Virginia-class submarines by 2028. The objective of this effort is to boost abilities for quick, long-distance strikes.

These weapons are designed with the intention of assisting the US in either bypassing or outsmarting Russian prohibitive zone defense systems.

Worries in Russia

There’s a sense of alarm in Russia over the potential power of America’s hypersonic weapons to render its existing missile defenses useless. The unpredictable flight paths coupled with the extreme speeds at which these hypersonic weapons travel pose a significant challenge for Russia’s defenses to catch, thereby posing a serious risk to its strategic interests.

In response to the emerging threat from American hypersonic and space-bound armaments, Russia has developed two distinct systems; the S-500 Integrated Air Defense System and the Yenisei Radar system.

Russia says new US base in Poland raises overall nuclear danger

Russia‘s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a new U.S. ballistic missile defense base in northern Poland will lead to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger and was on a Russian targeting list for potential destruction if necessary.

The air defense base, situated in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, part of a broader NATO missile shield, was opened on Nov. 13.

“This is another frankly provocative step in a series of deeply destabilizing actions by the Americans and their allies in the North Atlantic Alliance in the strategic sphere,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“This leads to undermining strategic stability, increasing strategic risks and, as a result, to an increase in the overall level of nuclear danger.”

(With inputs from agencies)