Russia's new missile has terrifying speed and can penetrate any shield
Russian Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that the Avangard hypersonic vehicle can penetrate any air defense shield thanks to its speed of 33,000 km/h.
"The latest test has demonstrated that the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle can travel at Mach 27 (about 33,000 km/h). The maneuverability makes the Avangard one of the most difficult targets to intercept,"RTDecember 27 quoted a statement by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that the power of Avangard makes enemy missile defense systems "useless" because "almost no missile can shoot it down at such speed".
 Russian Missile Illustration photo |
Borisov’s announcement came just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a successful test of the Avangard. The hypersonic weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the Ural Mountains and hit its target at the Kura test range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 6,000 km away.
Avangard acts as a warhead for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), developed and tested by Russia since 2004, which can accurately strike targets at a distance of over 10,000 km. Its extremely high flight speed and low cruising altitude can help Avangard avoid ground and space surveillance systems. The warhead is also capable of maneuvering in flight, making it impossible for defense systems to accurately determine its trajectory for interception.
Following the recent test, Putin said the Avangard would enter service in 2019 as part of efforts to modernize Russia's arsenal. He had previously said that mass production of the Avangard system had begun, claiming it would significantly boost Russia's military capabilities and ensure its security in the coming decades.
