Russia’s brand-new RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) will be able to carry several unique Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles designed to penetrate any existing missile defense system, the commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergey Karakayev, told the Russian media on Sunday. Earlier this week, the ballistic missile passed the first test in a series of final trials on its way to adoption by the Russian military.
“Development of Avangard has heralded a new era: the era of hypersonic weapons,” the colonel general told Russia’s Rossiya 1 TV channel, adding that the Sarmat can make this weapon even more effective.
Sarmat “is much more powerful than the [current] Avangard carrier-rocket,” Karakayev explained, adding that the ballistic missile has been specifically designed to be equipped with the Avangard warheads. The new missile is thus capable of carrying “more” gliders than the UR-100UTTKh ICBM currently in use by the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, the colonel general said.