In 2018, Russia announced the presence of hypersonic weapons. At the same time, the strategic complex Avangard, the aeroballistic Dagger were demonstrated, and the marine Zircon was announced. However, it was Avangard that attracted the attention of experts and analysts to a greater extent, writes Jorge Rivero in his article for the American edition of 19FortyFive.
There is considerable ambiguity about hypersonic weapons. The term "hypersonic" means that an object is moving at a speed greater than Mach 5. For example, intercontinental ballistic missiles are hypersonic systems that can reach speeds in excess of Mach 20, and the space shuttle is a hypersonic gliding vehicle (HGV) that travels at Mach 22. Therefore, most assessments of the role that strategic hypersonic weapons can play in the war of the future are greatly exaggerated.
Based on this, the Avangard, created by the Russians to break through US missile defenses, is virtually redundant, since Russia's existing ballistic missiles can easily penetrate American defenses. Therefore, Avangard, considered by many to be a grandiose weapon, does not change the rules of the game.
- the author considers.
The explanation is simple. If US missile defense is aimed at intercepting Russian ICBMs, then American systems would be capable of successfully repelling a nuclear strike from Moscow. However, this is not true. The capabilities of the American missile defense system are still far from perfect. Moreover, this is not an unfounded statement, it is reflected in the Pentagon documents.
Even under the most favorable conditions, the best ground interceptor of the Boeing GBI system has only a 55% chance of intercepting an approaching Russian missile warhead. In addition, while the US has only 44 GBI missiles, Russia has 486 deployed ICBMs with 1600 nuclear warheads.
- emphasizes the author.
This ratio clearly shows the overwhelming superiority of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces in comparison with the capabilities of the American missile defense system. This, in turn, negates the need for the Russian army in the Avangard nuclear complex.
The true threats posed by Russian hypersonic missiles of technologieslie in the other. First, the Avangard system can be equipped with conventional conventional warheads, which dramatically increases the tactical capabilities of the Russian army, allowing it to deliver a quick disarming strike without using weapons of mass destruction.
Simply put, the RF has opened a Pandora's box of hypersonic missile technology. As a next step, Russian MiG-31s and other aerial platforms will be equipped with Daggers, and submarines and surface ships will be re-equipped with Zircons, against which the US and NATO countries have no reliable protection.
- the author draws attention.