Russia's new missile has an incredibly high speed and can penetrate any defense system.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister asserted that the Avangard hypersonic vehicle can penetrate any air defense shield thanks to its speed of 33,000 km/h.
"The latest tests have proven that the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle can travel at Mach 27 (approximately 33,000 km/h). This maneuverability makes Avangard one of the most difficult targets to intercept."RTOn December 27, citing a statement by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister asserted that the power of Avangard renders enemy missile defense systems "useless" because "almost no missile can shoot it down at such speed."
 Russian missiles (Illustrative image) |
Borisov's statement came just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the successful test of the Avangard. The hypersonic weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the Ural Mountains and struck its target at the Kura test range on the Kamchatka Peninsula, 6,000 km from the launch site.
The Avangard serves as the warhead for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), developed and tested by Russia since 2004, capable of accurately striking targets at distances exceeding 10,000 km. Its extremely high speed and low cruising altitude allow the Avangard to evade ground-based and space-based detection systems. The warhead also possesses maneuverability in flight, making it difficult for defense systems to accurately determine its trajectory for interception.
Following recent tests, Putin stated that the Avangard system would be commissioned into the Russian military in 2019 as part of an effort to modernize Russia's arsenal. Previously, he indicated that mass production of the Avangard system had begun, asserting that it would significantly enhance Russia's military capabilities and ensure its security for decades to come.
