Russia Hypersonic Missile Tested Successfully

Russia’s hypersonic missile, the Kinzhal, was tested successfully after being launched from a MiG-31 fighter jet, according to the country's defense ministry.

The missile was fired from the aircraft that took off from southwestern Russia, the ministry said and it released a video of two pilots preparing to take off and then showing the missile launching from the jet, Agence France-Presse reported.

"A MiG-31 fighter crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a combat training launch of a hypersonic missile of the Kinzhal high-precision air missile system in the designated area," the ministry said in statement on Saturday, CNN reported. "The hypersonic missile confirmed its technical operational performance and timing data of the Kinzhal missile system."

AFP said the defense ministry reported the hypersonic missile "hit its target."

The BBC News reported the missile was said to travel 10 times the speed of sound and had a range of 1,200 miles. It said Russian President Vladimir Putin had described the Kinzhal missile, named after a type of dagger, as "an ideal weapon."

The defense ministry said that because of the high flight characteristics of the MiG-31 aircraft and advanced high-maneuverable hypersonic technology, "the Kinzhal has no analogues in the world," CNN reported.

U.S. military officials claimed such comments were "election rhetoric" ahead of Russia's presidential vote on March 18, which Putin is expected to win handily.

"Russia still has the greatest nuclear potential in the world, but nobody listened to us," Putin said in his annual address to the Russian Parliament, per CNN. "Listen now."

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis downplayed the test on Sunday while on his way to Oman, CNN said.

"I saw no change to the Russian military capability, and each of these systems he (Putin) is talking about that are still years away, I did not see them changing the military balance," Mattis told reporters, per CNN. "They did not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrent posture."

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