Russia Deploys Its Avangard Glide Vehicle – the Unmatched Leader in Hypersonic Technology

 

On Oct. 12 CNBC reported that Russia had hit a snag in its development of its hypersonic weapon, because it was at the time unable to find a source for the critical carbon fiber components. The news agency stated that the Pentagon had doubts that the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) existed. Skepticism seems widespread. Some believe that Russia’s new super weapons are “virtual reality,” while others think they are “mostly hype.” In March, the National Interest cited Michael Kofman, a research scientist for the Center for Naval Analyses and a highly respected analyst, who offered his assurances that there was no chance Russia could field its hypervelocity boost-glide weapon by 2019.  But history has shown that those who believed it to be just a bluff have been proven wrong.

Makeyev working on heavy ICBM and possible new SLBM

The first two deployment sites for Russia’s Sarmat heavy liquid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme will be in Orenburg oblast (presumably to re-equip 13th Missile Division headquartered at Dombarovskiy) and in Krasnoyarsk kray (presumably to re-equip the 62nd Missile Division headquartered at Uzhur), according to Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) Commander in Chief Colonel General Sergey Karakayev.