On June 3, Russia announced it had successfully tested its hypersonic missile, Zircon. Analysts report that the Zircon missile can fly at 7,400 km/hr, or six-times the speed of sound. Russian news agencies emphasized the missile’s ability to to counter Western missile defense systems, arguing that the Zircon “makes Western defenses obsolete.” Russian sources indicate that the missile would be installed on the Kirov-class battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy (099).