Shukan Gendai: US is unable to intercept Russian hypersonic “Avangard” missiles
The latest Russian “Avangard” hypersonic missiles have become a real headache for the US, the Japanese magazine Shukan Gendai writes.
It’s about the Avangard combat system, which is extremely difficult to destroy – even American air defense systems will not help.
“Even if (Avangard – Ed. note) can be detected, it would be impossible to intercept it in time. Moreover, it moves in a zigzag pattern from left to right, which makes it very difficult to destroy the weapon,” the newspaper quotes military expert Masaki Takabe.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Avangard hypersonic gliding cruise missile reaches a speed of 28 Mach, which is approximately 7.5 kilometers per second. It maneuvers on an unpredictable trajectory, which makes it virtually impossible to defeat by anti-missile weapons.
“Avangard” can target at a distance of six thousand kilometers.
The Avangard was announced in March 2018 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to the Federal Assembly. The complex consists of an intercontinental ballistic missile UR-100N UTTH and a hypersonic gliding wing unit capable of flying in dense layers of the atmosphere at an intercontinental range at hypersonic speed. Serial production of the Avangard hypersonic fighters began in July of the same year.
The first regiment armed with Avangard went on combat duty in the Orenburg division in December 2019. Last December, the second regiment went on combat duty.