New Russian "invisible" missile raises questions and concerns
The Russian design bureau Raduga has announced that a new missile system, Izdeliye 720, will be operational shortly. According to the portal Defense Romania, which cites Russian publications, the ammunition is described as "invisible," meaning it will be difficult to intercept even by Patriots.
The long-range missile Izdeliye 720 is said to "embody the best practices of the design school,"—the Russians claim, without providing details regarding the new weapon. It's worth noting that the propaganda media of the Russian Federation use these descriptions.
A missile about which little is known
In reality, the mysterious missile, about which essentially nothing specific is known, could be a failure, which in the Russian arms industry would not be the first such case. Such disappointments include the modern T-14 Armata tanks, which even the Russians did not want to use due to numerous malfunctions.
What is known about the new missile Izdeliye 720? First and foremost, work on it was announced in February 2023. The announcement accompanied Dmitry Medvedev's visit to the Raduga design bureau, where a range of other missiles, including a recently upgraded Kh-101, are produced. The Russians presented a model of the new ammunition at that time, although it is possible that the design seen then did not change over the following months.
Hard to intercept
The model's presentation in front of Medvedev was the only event related to Izdeliye 720. The Russians did not disclose any other details regarding this missile. However, Defense Romania notes that according to reports from Russia, the new product is expected to have a much greater range than the currently latest Ch-59M missile systems, reaching 115 kilometres (thanks to a jet-powered engine). Unofficially, a range of up to 1,500 kilometres is being mentioned, but these are still parts of information conveyed by Russian sources.
Russian media also state that although the Izdeliye 720 will have a greater range, it will be smaller than its predecessors. The dimensions are estimated to be about 3.3 metres long and a wingspan of about 2 metres. The total weight, in turn, is expected to be up to 450 kilograms. If these parameters prove true, analysts explain that it will allow a long-range bomber Tu-22M3 to carry a maximum of eight such missiles. Meanwhile, the Tu-95MS bomber should accommodate up to 14 Izdeliye 720 missiles.
The latest Russian design will not only be hard to detect (due to the alleged stealth technology) but also difficult to intercept even by Western Patriot air defence systems. Another advantage of the Izdeliye 720 is its low production cost—at least lower than the currently popular Kh-101 missile. Although the Raduga bureau believes the ammunition will be operational soon, it does not specify exactly when this will occur.
