On March 19th and 20th, Kinzhal air launched hypersonic missiles were fired from Russian Air Force MiG-31K fighters against targets in Ukraine. This marked the first combat use of this weapon, which has recently entered service with the Russian Armed Forces. The use of Kinzhal also brought the focus back on the capabilities and effects of hypersonic weapons. 

For the past year, hypersonic weapons have been on the agenda as strategic assets within the competition among the United States, Russia, and China. Several other countries such as India and Japan have also been working on developing hypersonic strike capabilities.