Russia develops hypersonic weapons, Avangard combat-ready

(Patria) – Russia's Avangard hypersonic missile system officially became operational on Friday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced.

The missile, which can travel at speeds 27 times faster than the speed of sound, is capable of making sharp maneuvers en route to its target, making interception difficult.

After informing President Putin that the missile had been put on alert, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu congratulated high-ranking military officers on an 'achievement important for the armed forces as well as for the entire nation'.

The missile was launched at 10:00 AM local time from a secret location in the Orenburg region in the southern Urals.

The missile system was first mentioned publicly in Putin's address to the nation in 2018. He explained at the time that the missile was made of composite materials and could therefore withstand temperatures up to 2,000 degrees C.

He recently emphasized that Russia is the only country possessing hypersonic weapons, and that it has no rivals globally in this new class of weaponry.