Head of the Russian naval contingent, Captain Oleg Gladkiy, has announced that the new generation Zircon hypersonic missile system will not be used during the joint naval exercise with South Africa and China. The 10-day Mosi II exercise is taking place off South Africa’s eastern coast and coincides with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, raising alarm among Western governments.
Gladkiy stated that the hypersonic weapon will not be used in the context of these exercises and that there is no hidden meaning in the drills. The Zircon missile, which can travel at more than five times the speed of sound, is seen as a way to gain an edge over any adversary as they can potentially evade missile shields and early warning systems. Russia is in a race with the United States and China to develop them.
The media coverage of the exercise has been restricted and the South African government has faced domestic criticism for participating. The opposition Democratic Alliance said it shows the government is not neutral in Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, the South African National Defence Force insists that the drills are simply “a multinational maritime exercise” and that they will “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China”.
South Africa is among many African countries that maintain relations with Moscow and abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine. Despite this, Captain Gladkiy has made it clear that no test launch of the Zircon missile system will take place during the Mosi II exercise.