One of Russia’s superweapons, the Avangard hypersonic missile, is now on combat duty in the Orenburg Region, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters on Saturday.
“Today, yet another regiment armed with the Avangard missile system was put on combat duty at the Yasnenskoye missile formation, becoming a true present for the Day of the Strategic Missile Force,” the ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the missile system with the hypersonic glide vehicle would boost the combat capabilities of the Russian Strategic Missile Force.
As per Russian claims, the Avangard hypersonic missile is capable of flying at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 27. It can perform direction and altitude maneuvers and outpace any missile defense system.
Earlier in April, Russian Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergei Karakaev had said that the newest Russian Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) could be deployed with several Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles.
The Russian Defense Ministry had said that it successfully tested a Sarmat missile from a silo launcher. The ministry added that design characteristics were confirmed at all stages of its flight, and the training warheads arrived in a planned area at the Kura training ground on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
“Concerning Sarmat, it is another missile system. It is based on a launcher, and it is much more powerful than Vanguard’s launcher. It has also been designed for Vanguard, taking into account that the number [of Avangards] on this system [Sarmat ] could be more,” Karakaev told Russian broadcaster Rossiya 1.
He noted that the development of Avangard brings the age of hypersonic weapons. Karakaev added that no other country in the world except for Russia today has this sort of weapon on combat duty.
Sarmat is intended to replace RS-20 Voevoda missile systems. The ministry noted that Sarmat is capable of striking targets at long ranges using various flight trajectories and is guaranteed to overcome any existing and prospective anti-missile defense systems.
The system, which is the most powerful in the world and has the longest range, should significantly strengthen the combat capabilities of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.
Via: Tass and Sputnik News Agency
