Avangard Hypersonic Missile - A Warning to the US After Russia's Weapon Show
(Baonghean) - A series of outstanding technical parameters of the Avangard hypersonic missile have just been introduced by Russia to US weapons inspectors during a 3-day working trip to Russia. Russia's announcement of information classified as "never-before-disclosed secrets" is not simply a show of strength to its opponents, but is also seen as a "trick" to put pressure on US President Donald Trump to extend the START-3 Treaty - a treaty to reduce and limit strategic offensive weapons between the two sides that will expire in 2021.
"Show off your power"
The missile that Russia presented to the US weapons inspectors is the latest hypersonic missile Avangard, which was first mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March last year, along with Russia's new strategic weapons including nuclear cruise missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles, laser weapons and unmanned submarines. This missile was successfully tested by Russia when it hit a simulated target 6,000 km away from the launch site from the Dombarovsky test site in southern Russia to the test site in Kura on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Russian side also emphasized that the speed of the Avangard missile can reach 30,000 km/h, which is 27 times faster than the speed of sound. Russia asserts that, at this speed, Avangard can penetrate any missile defense system, both current and future. Even the US currently does not have a defense system to counter hypersonic weapons and it will take at least five years for other countries to catch up with Russia in this field.
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| Photo: Moscow Times |
Russia said that the presentation of the latest missile to US inspectors was aimed at maintaining the Strategic Arms Reduction and Limitation Treaty (START-3), signed by former Russian Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama in 2010 and entered into force in 2011. This treaty serves to further reduce and limit the entire range of strategic offensive weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers on land, sea and air.
According to the Treaty, for mutual monitoring, inspection teams from both sides can inspect the core of an intercontinental ballistic missile. But according to analysts, in addition to complying with the treaty's obligations, Russia's freedom to disclose detailed technical specifications of the Avangard hypersonic missile to US inspectors also aims to demonstrate that economic indicators do not affect Russia's ability to develop new weapons, including strategic weapons. In addition, this is also an affirmation that Russia has achieved a very large goal in its weapons development program, focusing not only on modernizing its offensive potential but also on overcoming the missile defense systems of the US and its allies.
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| Russian leaders watch the Avangard hypersonic missile test on a screen. Photo: Sputnik |
The biggest message that Russia wants to send to the US is to quickly consider extending the START-3 Treaty - something that the US has refused to make an official statement about despite Russia's repeated calls. Russia is currently trying to put pressure on the US with the view that, once START-3 collapses, Russia will be the least affected country as it has an advantage over the US in the field of strategic weapons with state-of-the-art and completely exclusive weapons.
The zealous - The indifferent
This is not the first time Russia has expressed its desire to extend the START-3 Treaty - directly or indirectly. According to the regulations, START-3 will expire in February 2021 and can be extended for another 5 years if both parties to the treaty agree. In the context of the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russia is very concerned that a similar scenario will happen to START-3.
It is not for nothing that Russia is so eager to maintain the START-3 Treaty with the United States. Although Russia has always shown the world that economic indicators do not affect its ability to develop new strategic weapons, in reality, any arms race requires a strong economic potential - which is certainly not Russia's advantage when placed next to the world's number 1 economy, the United States. Therefore, maintaining long-term arms control mechanisms with the United States will help Russia promote domestic strategic stability, focusing on giving priority to allies in the Middle East such as Syria and Iran.
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| Russia and the US have different calculations regarding the START-3 Treaty. Photo: CNN |
In addition, calling for the maintenance of control treaties with the US is also a way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to build the image of a leader for world peace, affirming Russia's position as not only a military power but also a diplomatic power. When calling on the US to extend START-3, Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly emphasized that the US's refusal would bring many dangers and instability to world security.
Contrary to Russia's enthusiasm, the US also has reasons for being indifferent to extending START-3 up to this point.
The US views the treaty as deeply flawed because it does not cover all of Russia's short-range tactical nuclear weapons. The US has not ruled out a new arms treaty with Russia, but has insisted that it be a better treaty that covers all of Russia's strategic weapons.
However, by refusing to extend the START-3 Treaty with Russia and proposing to sign a new treaty, the US is also targeting another factor: China. The US is concerned that while both Russia and the US are trying to restrain each other's power, China's arsenal is constantly growing. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction that "Russia and the US are trying to stockpile more weapons that are no longer needed, while China is gradually catching up with both." Therefore, although Moscow has repeatedly made proposals to extend the agreement with the US, it has not received any response from Washington and has always avoided discussing specific issues.
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| The US is concerned that while both Russia and the US are trying to contain each other's power, China's arsenal is growing steadily. In the photo: China's DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile during a military parade on October 1, 2019. Photo: Politpulzzle |
Although Russia and the United States both have strategic calculations for the extension of START-3, the reality is that when the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has collapsed, maintaining START-3 is truly meaningful not only for Russia and the United States but also for world security. Analysts believe that the extension of START-3 is clearly a reasonable step to maintain the only remaining pillar to prevent the strategic situation from worsening, triggering endless arms races in the missile-nuclear field in the world.
