Russia LAUNCHES MISSILE: Kremlin blasts projectile in Pacific as Putin flexes war muscles

The K-150 Tomsk submarine launched a supersonic P-700 Granit cruise missile from a “submersed” location, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

In a statement, the Ministry said: “A Granit supersonic cruise missile was launched from a submersed position at a ground target located at the Kura testing grounds in the Kamchatka Krai. 

“The launch was carried out from the water area of the Sea of Okhotsk.”

Crewmen of the ‘Tomsk’ nuclear submarine have also performed around a dozen more exercises, including moving while underwater and escaping mock enemy fire after the cruise missile test launch.

The P-700 Granit is a heavy supersonic naval missile with a range of 300 miles (550km). It can be fired from submarines or conventional ships, as well as surface-to-surface combat.

The news comes after the US shot down a test intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), similar to the rockets developed by North Korea, using its world-class Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system.

Last night’s simulated IRBM was designed to replicate the kinds of missiles that could threaten America, including Kim Jong-un’s arsenal of weapons.

The test was the first-ever of the THAAD system against an incoming IRBM, which experts say is a faster and more difficult target to hit than shorter-range missiles, and comes after North Korea claimed it has successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US.

The Missile Defence Agency (MDA) said in a statement: “The successful demonstration of THAAD against an IRBM-range missile threat bolsters the country’s defensive capability against developing missile threats in North Korea and other countries.”

More to follow…