Russia’s next-generation Zircon hypersonic missile needs additional testing before it can be put into service, and that will take some time, the head of the company that produces it said on Friday, according to state news agency TASS and Reuters.

Oleksandr Leonov, director of the NPO “Mashinobuduvannya” stated that adopting missiles “is not a quick procedure” and involves “a certain number of tests.” It is unclear which tests he was referring to, Reuters notes.

Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles have a claimed range of 900 km and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

Russia, China and the United States are competing to develop hypersonic weapons, and Russia has been testing Zircon missiles since at least 2017, presenting them as a major step forward in its military rivalry with Western nations.

A year ago, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that one of the frigates had practiced missile launches in the Atlantic Ocean.

Last August, Moscow also said it was equipping its new nuclear-powered submarines with Zircon hypersonic missiles.

In early 2023, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would begin mass deliveries of Zircon missiles, which he says are “invincible,” as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen its nuclear forces.