A new class of intercontinental weaponry that can fly 27 times the speed of sound has been introduced into the Russian nuclear arsenal, bolstering the country's nuclear strike capability.
In hailing the new weapon, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia is the only country in the world with a fully operational hypersonic weapon, even though its military spending is a fraction of the U.S. military budget.
»RELATED: Putin says Russia is leading world in hypersonic weapons
The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle weapon became fully operational just this past week, according to Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu.
The situation
The first missile unit equipped with the Avangard entered combat duty Dec. 27, according to Russian defense officials.
“I congratulate you on this landmark event for the military and the entire nation,” Shoigu said later during a conference call with top military leaders.
Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev
Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev
The Strategic Missile Forces chief, Gen. Sergei Karakayev, said during the call that the Avangard was put on duty with a unit in the Orenburg region in the southern Ural Mountains.
What’s notable
On Dec. 29, two days after the new weapon was announced, Putin called U.S. President Donald Trump to thank him for information that helped foil a potential holiday terrorist attack in Russia.
»RELATED: Putin calls Trump to thank US for helping thwart terrorist attack in Russia
The conversation then turned to the state of relations between the United States and Russia and future efforts to support effective arms control, said White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley.
Credit: DOUG MILLS
Credit: DOUG MILLS
The White House on Monday confirmed the call, a full day after the Kremlin issued a public statement about it.
In the past, Trump has stated a desire for a new nuclear arms control deal with Russia.
Previously
The Russian Defense Ministry said last month it demonstrated the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle to a team of U.S. inspectors as part of transparency measures under the New Start nuclear arms treaty with the U.S.
Putin described the weapon as a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite.
Speaking at a meeting with top military brass on Christmas Eve, Putin said that for the first time in history Russia is now leading the world in developing an entire new class of weapons unlike in the past when it was catching up with the United States.
The Russian leader noted that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union was behind the United States in designing the atomic bomb and building strategic bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“Now we have a situation that is unique in modern history when they are trying to catch up to us,” he said. “Not a single country has hypersonic weapons, let alone hypersonic weapons of intercontinental range.”
‘Like a fireball’
Putin unveiled the Avangard among other prospective weapons systems in his state-of-the-nation address in March 2018, noting that its ability to make sharp maneuvers on its way to a target will render missile defense useless.
Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev
Credit: Mikhail Klimentyev
"It heads to target like a meteorite, like a fireball," he said at the time.
Putin has said Russia had to develop the Avangard and other prospective weapons systems because of U.S. efforts to develop a missile defense system that he claimed could erode Russia's nuclear deterrent. Moscow has scoffed at U.S. claims that its missile shield isn't intended to counter Russia's massive missile arsenals.
More about the weapon
The Russian military said the Avangard carries a nuclear weapon of up to 2 megatons.
The Avangard is launched atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, but unlike a regular missile warhead that follows a predictable path after separation, it can make sharp maneuvers in the atmosphere en route to the target, making it much harder to intercept.
Credit: Courtesy Twitter
Credit: Courtesy Twitter
In December 2018, the Avangard was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Urals and successfully hit a practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 3,700 miles away.
Putin noted that Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000-degrees Celsius, resulting from a flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
Why it matters
The new Russian weapon and similar systems being developed around the world have caused concern for the United States, which is pondering defense strategies, reports say.
China has tested its own hypersonic glide vehicle, believed to be capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound. It displayed the weapon called Dong Feng 17, or DF-17, at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese state.
U.S. officials have talked about putting a layer of sensors in space to more quickly detect enemy missiles, particularly the hypersonic weapons. The administration also plans to study the idea of basing interceptors in space, so the U.S. can strike incoming enemy missiles during the first minutes of flight when the booster engines are still burning.
Credit: Lockheed Martin illustration
Credit: Lockheed Martin illustration
The Pentagon also has been working on the development of hypersonic weapons in recent years, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that he believes “it's probably a matter of a couple of years” before the U.S. has one. He has called it a priority as the military works to develop new long-range-fire capabilities.
What’s next
Russian media reports indicated that the Avangard will first be mounted on Soviet-built RS-18B intercontinental ballistic missiles, code-named SS-19 by NATO. It is expected to be fitted to the prospective Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile after it becomes operational.
The State Department announced Monday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cyprus from Jan. 3-7.
— Compiled by ArLuther Lee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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