Russia's Hypersonic Missile Attack Likely Launched from Mach 3 Jet

Cold War-era MiG-31K can also launch anti-satellite missiles

As reported earlier, Russia claims to have used its latest air-to-ground hypersonic missile, the Kinzhal (or Dagger) against a supply depot target in western Ukraine.

The Russians probably launched the strike from Russian airspace several hundred miles away.

Russia's primary launch aircraft for this weapon is the MiG-31K Foxhound. While it os a Cold War-era jet fighter, it remains one of the fastest planes on earth. The Mig-31 can reach speeds of nearly Mach 3, or three times the speed of sound.

Officially it is Mach 2.8, or 2,170 mph.

With its extremely high altitude ceiling of over 80,000 feet, the Foxhound has also been configured to carry updated versions of the older Kontakt satellite interceptor missiles.