The Russian Navy’s latest warship, Gremyashchiy, will carry the Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, its captain and Russian President Vladimir Putin said during Putin’s visit aboard the vessel October 31, according to Russian state media. The warship will be launched later this year and join the Pacific fleet. The missile is seen as a natural counter to the U.S. Navy’s Aegis air defense system.
Maybe Russia's loud denunciations of NATO and expressions of friendship toward China are just total BS:
Putin seems insanely paranoid about the West and NATO. Perhaps it is very rational for him to pretend NATO is a threat to hide the groveling to China. ...
The problem for Russia is that by the time they feel secure enough to recognize that China is the real threat to Mother Russia, NATO and the West will be so disgusted with Russia that Moscow won't be able to even hope for our help should China decide that Russia's Far East is really a Core Interest of China that should return to the loving embrace of the Han Empire.
But perhaps the actual deployment of the missile to Asia tells us that the Russians know exactly who the threat to Russia really is.
Russia is alienating the West one missile, boast, pointless initiative, and threat at a time. Bravo.
Will nobody in the Kremlin tell Putin he is effing up royally?