MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russia has begun series production of strategic missile systems Avangard equipped with a glide vehicle, a military-diplomatic source said on Saturday.
"It is time for our Western counterparts to perceive new reality. Russian Kinzhals are on duty, while Avangard [systems] have entered series production," he said.
The missiles "which Americans are determined to roll out as a global anti-missile and air defense system, have no military value now after Russia’s presentations of new weapons," sourse added.
"There is no sense in shielding positioning areas and various military groups with them now," he noted. "There is neither protection nor antidotes against the Russian Kinzhal systems capable of flying at a speed of 10 Mach.".
Negotiations
Western counterparts should sit at the negotiating table and hold talks about overwhelming security with regard to the most advanced weapons developed by Russia, a military-diplomatic source said.
Russia possesses the cutting-edge multi-tasking oceanic system with autonomous underwater vehicles, the brand-new Avangard hypersonic strategic system and other super contemporary systems mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his State of the Nation Address. "Moreover, the new generation precision weapons are on combat duty," the source specified.
"They need to realize it and sit at the negotiating table to talk about overwhelming security but not saber-rattling. The parity should not be breached as the United States and NATO have been attempting for many years," he said.
Russia has more than once called on Western counterparts to restart talks on global security and stability, the source said.
"We have been reiterating that Washington’s deployment of the global anti-missile defense system will end in nothing. Moreover, in 2007 we leaked classified information about the Sarmat strategic missile system, being under development then," he said. "No, we said nothing about the work on a nuclear-armed cruise missile and taken every measure possible to keep it secret. However, all required tests were performed on the weapon in full. Their results made it possible to assert with a 100% confidence that the project has been ‘polished’ and implemented."
It is time for the West to accept the new reality, rather than to keep "harping on" about the anti-missile defense system along with other bygone weapons.
"Nobody, but Russia, has a hypersonic weapon," he underlined.
Speaking about the West’s allegations that Russia had breached the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), the source pointed out that "There is no point for Russia in violating the INF Treaty as the new weapons are not subject to it."
The strategic missile system Avangard
In his address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin told about the advanced Avangard strategic missile complexes with glide vehicles.
Later, Russia’s Strategic Missile Force Commander Sergei Karakayev said that the testing of advanced Avangard strategic missile complexes with glide vehicles had been completed.
"Creating the strategic missile system Avangard, equipped with a glide vehicle, has become a no less efficient response to the deployment of the American anti-missile defenses. Its testing has been successfully completed," he said.
New weapons systems
On Thursday, in his speech to the Federal Assembly Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the most advanced systems of strategic weapons, developed in response to Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty) and practical deployment of the ABM shield both inside the US and outside its borders.
Among the new cutting-edge weapons are the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons system, a nuclear-armed cruise missile, as well as a dual-capable unmanned underwater vehicle, which is meant for conventional and nuclear missions.