Russian warships conduct Atlantic drills en route to Cuba. New hypersonic missiles are on board

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Russian warships conducted drills in the Atlantic, the military said Tuesday, as they were heading to visit Cuba, part of Moscow’s efforts to project power amid the tensions with the West over Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kazan nuclear-powered submarine conducted the exercise that was intended to simulate a missile strike on a group of enemy ships.

The ministry said the drills involved computer simulation of an attack on sea targets more than 600 kilometers (over 320 nautical miles) away.

The Admiral Gorshkov is armed with new Zircon hypersonic missiles. The weapon has been designed to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and could be used against both enemy ships and ground targets.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-navy-warhips-cuba-caribbean-ukraine-12c2be0f94a5ce1fcb8c6fdc0101d450

Russian warships have a nasty habit of sinking.

[dutch777]

1. And they were no doubt closely trailed by a US attack sub and probably air assets as well. We do the same thing in....

...their backyard. I am surprised that at least one of the ships wasn't towed into port due to mechanical issues. Technically they have a white water navy but there have been lots of examples that show they are really not that good when out of coastal waters.

[Angleae]

2. Adm Gorshkov isn't a soviet-era warship. It's only 6 years old.

[dutch777]

5. Yeah, and what pulls up to Guantanamo Bay a day the Russians pull into Havana?. One of our fast attack subs. Ha!

I bet they were shadowed the whole way from the time they hit international waters. A frigate, an oiler, a sub and a rescue tug of whatever vintage are hardly much of a task force. When you have to send a rescue tug with your white water group, says a lot.

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

3. At least their Zircon encrusted* hypersonic missiles aren't killing Ukrainians

if they're being paraded in the Caribbean. Probably don't work anyway. Me, I'm waiting to see which Russian ships sink from being put on water, or spontaneously combust like a Spinal Tap drummer - or the Admiral Levchenko. If you didn't hear about the Admiral Levchenko see:
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/06/10/7460155/

*that was a nod to Frank Zappa, in case you didn't catch it.

[haele]

4. Hypersonic worries again. All ballistic missiles can become hypersonic.

During my time active duty during the 80's and 90's, I watched several go hypersonic towards the end of their trajectory. Modern missiles have more maneuverability, and engines can push power more efficiently after launch, but physics still has the last word, no matter how much engineers want it to. If there's some sort of pinpoint gravitational equalizer field technology, then I'd start getting more concerned.

No matter what Putin's - or Xi's generals put out for PR, we aren't going to see Mission Impossible movie style moves from a new hypersonic missile.

Not that I'm not concerned about ships with armed Russian chest pounders on board near the coast of Florida, but I'm not fearful that their weapons are somehow new and unstoppable.

I'm more worried that Putin is going senile and starting to believe the Potemkin PR he's been putting out for a decade and a half now.

Haele

[hatrack]

6. Wait, they're not sailing to the Black Sea?

Huh.

[mn9driver]

7. I bet the east coast VP bubbas are happy.

Many years ago, Soviet submarines would loiter in the western Atlantic, providing lots of training opportunities for our airborne and subsurface assets. Since the USSR broke up, I would imagine such opportunities have been few and far between.

None of these Russian vessels would have a chance to launch an actual attack—or at least no more than one missile— before becoming history. They know it, and we know it. This is how the game used to be played.