The Kinzhal. We must develop countermeasures to this weapon...

Thanks to Drinas for the link!

Russian ASF MiG-31 aircraft crew conducted combat training launch of a hypersonic missile of #Kinzhal high-precision aviation missile system in the assigned area. Launch was conducted normally. The missile hit the target at a training ground. pic.twitter.com/u8jkUw27O9

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) March 10, 2018

The Kinzhal is a modified Isklander?

That's what the "experts" are saying.  Me?  Don't care.  What I do know is that we need to develop countermeasures and since it might be operational we need to get it done sooner rather than later.

From hanging out (well reading) with the aviation guys here, everything about this missile to include its preferred launch vehicle is troubling.

Think about it.

The MIG-31 is chosen as the platform of choice for it.

Why does that worry.

Name another airplane in Russian service that flies higher, or faster.  I mean the thing was designed to hunt down SR-71s and its recon version has outspeed stripped down Israeli F-15s that reportedly can credibly do Mach 2.75 (need to find the link to the article making that claim before you guys go batshit on me).

All the aviation guys on the blog have talked about flying high and launching missiles at speed to give them extra "umph".

Well this plane does that in spades.

Long story short?

I don't care about the nuclear powered missile.

The Russians won't sell that on the open market.  This missile could find itself in the hands of certain countries that we'd prefer didn't have it.  I'd bet the Chinese have already sent a delegation to get info and purchase a few to try out (before they copy it).