All news

Russia’s Defense Ministry signs production contract for Avangard hypersonic systems

According to Vladimir Putin, the complex cannot be stopped by any air defense and missile defense weapon
The Russian Defense Ministry AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
The Russian Defense Ministry
© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract for the production of the cutting-edge Avangard hypersonic strategic systems, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

"The Avangard system the president spoke about [in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly], was well-tested. It was created not without difficulty, because the temperature on the surface of the warhead reaches two thousand degrees. It actually flies amid plasma. The questions of controlling it and the protection issues were very acute, but the solutions were found. The system’s practical tests have confirmed the feasibility of the chosen approach. What’s more, we have a contract for the serial production of these systems. So, this is no bluff, this is something real," Borisov said.

On March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the Avangard system in his State to the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly.

As follows from what he explained, the glide vehicle is capable of performing extensive maneuvering, including lateral maneuvers by several thousand kilometers, and of changing altitudes. According to Putin, this "makes it absolutely invulnerable to any air defense and missile defense weapons."