MOSCOW — Russia deployed its first regiment of hypersonic nuclear-capable missiles on Friday, the Defence Ministry said, a move which President Vladimir Putin has boasted puts his country in a class of its own. The new system, called Avangard, comprises a hypersonic glide vehicle which is designed to sit atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, one of several new types of weapons touted by Putin as being ahead of their time. Putin said on Tuesday the Avangard system could penetrate both existing and any future missile defence systems. Not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons,” said Putin. Control surfaces on glide vehicles mean they can steer an unpredictable course and maneuver sharply as they approach impact.

Source: National Post December 27, 2019 15:00 UTC