Avangard Complex: production started, infrastructure ready
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On May 22, Russian media published the latest statements by the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev. Once again, he touched on the Avangard complex and announced relevant data on work in this direction.
According to the commander in chief, the construction of the infrastructure for the future operation of Avangard in one of the formations has been completed. The first such operator weapons will be the 13-th Orenburg Red Banner Division rocket (Yasny, Orenburg region), which is part of the 31-rocket army of the Strategic Missile Forces. However, the exact composition of the new objects for the use of Avangard has not yet been named.
Also, the commander recalled plans for the near future. The construction of the infrastructure should be followed by the delivery of finished weapons. The first Avangard complex will take up combat duty until the end of this year. Thus, the previously announced plans for the deployment of advanced weapons remain in force.
Future operators
According to the latest reports, the first Avangard complexes will go into service with the 13 th rocket division, which carries the service near Orenburg. In the future, such weapons may appear in other compounds of the Strategic Missile Forces. However, the Ministry of Defense has not yet published its plans for the further deployment of Avangards. What other compounds, when and in what quantity will receive such weapons - is unknown.
According to 2017, the 13 th rocket division includes four missile regiments with mine launchers and a number of auxiliary units required for the full service of the entire compound. All four regiments are equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles P-36М2.
As part of the planned re-equipment, the infrastructure of one of the regiments of the division was modernized. Due to this, he will be able to operate the Avangard complexes. Thus, by the end of this year, the division will consist of two fundamentally different samples - the “traditional” ICBMs of the older model and the promising complex with a hypersonic planning unit.
It is curious that when the new complex of the 13 division is put into service, it will be necessary to master not only the Avant-garde unit itself, but also its carrier. According to known data, a new type of hypersonic aircraft is now used with the UR-100N UTTH ICBM. As far as is known, such missiles never stood on duty in the 13-th missile division. However, the compound in the recent past participated in the tests of "Avangard" and has experience in their operation.
Plans of the past
Recent statements on the construction of infrastructure for new missile systems were expected and are in line with recent reports. For the first time, public information about Avangard sounded at the highest level in March last year. Promising development was announced personally by President Vladimir Putin.
In July, 2018-th Ministry of Defense announced the completion of the development stage and the start of mass production of new weapons. Another important news Received in late December. Then one of the regiments of the 13-th missile division completed a successful launch of Avangard on the training target at the Kura test site. The complex confirmed the characteristics and demonstrated its capabilities. It was argued that the planning combat unit in flight had developed a speed of the order of M = 27.
At the same time, the country's leadership announced the imminent adoption of the Avant-garde into service. The first regiment was planned to be put on combat duty in 2019. As the latest official messages show, such works are proceeding in accordance with the schedule and should give the expected results.
Perspective weapon
The main goals and objectives of the Avangard project were repeatedly stated at all levels. Within this program, several organizations of the domestic defense industry were to create a special missile system with an unusual payload.
The basis of the complex in its present form is the ICBM UR-100N UTTH, which serves as the carrier of the planning combat unit. In the future, the carrier of the Avangard product will also be the promising heavy-duty ICBM RS-28 Sarmat. The appearance of such a version of the missile complex will be possible after the completion of the current work on the Sarmat, i.e. not earlier than the beginning of the twenties.
The Avangard product itself is a hypersonic planning winged block — an aircraft of a special design, capable of displaying the highest flight performance and carrying a warhead of the required type. The use of a number of special technical solutions allows the unit to withstand high mechanical and thermal loads.
With the help of an ICBM performing the functions of a carrier, the Avangard takes off and accelerates to hypersonic speed. Then the block independently carries out the planning flight to the target. The highest flight speed and maneuvering course and altitude provide certain advantages over existing types of warheads. It is known about the possibility of obtaining intercontinental flight range. The combat load has not yet been clarified.
Hypersonic flight speed and maneuvering are the main means of breaking through the enemy’s air and missile defense. High speed takes such an aircraft beyond the capabilities of existing and future air defense systems, and maneuvering makes it impossible to effectively use existing antimissiles designed to combat ICBMs.
It is expected that the Avangard missile systems will be an important addition to existing ICBMs with a "classic" combat load. The head units of the ICBMs of the P-36М2, UR-100НТТХ, Sarmat or Topol families are equipped with the necessary means and have a certain potential in the context of overcoming missile defense. The promising Avangard has such capabilities already at the concept level.
Thus, over the next few months, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces will receive fundamentally new weapons with special capabilities and the highest potential. Such rearmament will begin with one regiment, but in the future Avangard can enter other parts. The consequences of the supply and development of such weapons are obvious. Russian strategic nuclear forces will maintain and increase their strike potential, and will also protect themselves from the missile defense system of a potential enemy for a certain period.
- Ryabov Kirill
- Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
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