Under START III: Russia Demonstrates Avangard Missile System to US Inspectors

Inspectors from the USA were shown the Avangard hypersonic complex. This is stated in a press release from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

"Within the framework of the implementation of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive weapons, from November 24 to 26, the American inspection team conducted a demonstration of the Avangard missile system with a hypersonic glider winged block," the message says.

It is specified that the Russian military held a demonstration "with a view to assisting in ensuring the viability and effectiveness" of the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START III).

The ministry also explained that the missile system will go on combat alert as early as next month, December.

For the first time, the development of the Avangard complex became known from the message of President Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly on March 1, 2018. The head of state noted that this winged block is moving toward the target “like a meteorite, a ball of fire” and carries out deep maneuvering, which makes it absolutely invulnerable to any air defense and missile defense systems. At the same time, it was the deployment of the global missile defense system by the States that led to the development of the Vanguard.

On December 26, 2018, the flight test program for the hypersonic missile system was completed. The head of state watched from the National Defense Management Center for a successful control launch, during which the unit reached a speed of 27 Machs.

“The work was big, long, complicated, it required breakthrough solutions in fundamental areas - and all this was done by the efforts of our scientists, designers, engineers. The new Vanguard system is invulnerable to today's and prospective air defense and missile defense systems of a potential enemy. This is a great success and a great victory, ”Putin said.

After that, the Avangard complexes began to enter the arsenal of the Russian army. In May 2019, the infrastructure for deploying a missile regiment with the Avangard complex was deployed in the Yasnensky missile compound (Orenburg region).

“Russia has never violated international agreements”

As the corresponding member of the Academy of Military Sciences Sergey Sudakov noted, Russia is taking an important step, demonstrating that the country is within the legal framework, where it calls for partners to return.

“Today, the task of Russia is to preserve START III. Because we believe that today all the international agreements that we have had: the INF Treaty, the START III treaty, the treaty banning the militarization of outer space - all these are small pieces called international law and the international legal order, the principles of which we have never did not break. At some point, the United States will have to return to what is called full-fledged international agreements, when there is respect from both sides, ”the source said.

In turn, a military expert and retired colonel Viktor Litovkin indicated that a demonstration to the American inspectors of the Avangard complex was mandatory, since such conditions were spelled out in the strategic offensive arms treaty. According to him, this is a natural step of the Russian side, especially before the bloc goes on combat duty.

“Now they will understand that Russia is fulfilling its obligations under the START III treaty, and will take this into account. When Putin talked about this development and showed a video with the flights of this block, the Americans called it all cartoons. Then, when we conducted the tests, they saw that these were not cartoons. And now we have all the more realized that we have a hypersonic warhead, ”the expert said.

He also pointed out that in the United States there are two diametrically opposed opinions regarding the extension of START III.

“Which of these trends will win by February 2021 is difficult to predict. I would like this agreement to be extended, this is to the benefit of both sides. Because if this agreement exists, there is trust, which is based on control over each other. If there is no trust, then the arms race begins with unpredictable finals. Therefore, I am more likely an optimist than a pessimist, ”Litovkin explained in an interview with RT.

Recall that the agreement on the reduction of strategic offensive arms was signed in 2010 and is valid until February 5, 2021, unless it is replaced by another agreement. In accordance with the document, Russia and the United States pledged to reduce their strategic offensive weapons and not to deploy offensive weapons beyond national borders.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in October, START III is the last instrument to limit the arms race, without which the world will become more dangerous and less predictable.

“In order for it to be extended, we must work right now. We made these proposals; they are on the table at the American administration. No answer. We understand that they have not yet decided whether it is necessary to extend this agreement, as they think, or not, ”Putin pointed out in an interview with RT Arabic, Sky News Arabia and Al Arabiya.