Over the past several months, officials have talked about the imminent start of deliveries of serial Avangard missile systems and the approaching date for putting such systems on alert. According to the latest data, work in this direction has led to the desired results. The strategic missile forces are already receiving new systems.
Latest news
On May 22, Russian media published the latest statements by the commander of the Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev. He once again touched upon the topic of the Avangard complex and announced the latest data on work in this direction.
According to the commander-in-chief, the construction of infrastructure for the future operation of the Avangard in one of the units has been completed. The first operator of such weapons will be the 13th Orenburg Red Banner Missile Division (Yasny, Orenburg Region), which is part of the 31st Missile Army of the Strategic Missile Forces. However, the exact composition of the new facilities for the use of "Avangard" has not yet been named.
The commander also recalled plans for the near future. The construction of infrastructure should be followed by the delivery of ready-made weapons. The first Avangard complex will take up combat duty by 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 13th missile division, serving near Orenburg. In the future, such weapons may appear in other formations from the Strategic Missile Forces. However, the Ministry of Defense has not yet published its plans for the further deployment of the Vanguards. What other units, when and in what quantity will receive such weapons - is unknown.
As of 2017, the 13th Missile Division includes four missile regiments with silo launchers and a number of auxiliary units necessary for the full service of the entire compound. All four regiments are equipped with R-36M2 intercontinental ballistic missiles.
As part of the planned rearmament, the infrastructure of one of the division's regiments was modernized. Thanks to this, he will be able to operate the Avangard complexes. Thus, by the end of this year, the division will be armed with two fundamentally different models - "traditional" ICBMs of the older model and a promising complex with a hypersonic gliding unit.
It is curious that when the 13th Division's new complex is put into service, it will be necessary to master not only the Avangard-type 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 have never been on duty in the 13th Missile Division. However, the compound in the recent past participated in the tests of the "Avangard" and has experience in their operation.
Plans of the past
Recent statements on the progress of building infrastructure for new missile systems were expected and in line with reports from the recent past. For the first time, open information about Avangard was announced at the highest level in March last year. The promising development was announced personally by President Vladimir Putin.
In July 2018, the Ministry of Defense announced the completion of the development stage and the start of mass production of new weapons. Another important news came in the last days of December. Then one of the regiments of the 13th missile division carried out a successful launch of the Avangard against a training target at the Kura range. The complex has confirmed its characteristics and demonstrated its capabilities. It was argued that the gliding warhead in flight developed a speed of the order of M = 27.
At the same time, the country's leadership announced the upcoming adoption of the "Avangard" into service. The first regiment was planned to be put on alert in 2019. As the latest official reports show, such work is proceeding according to the schedule and should give the expected results.
Promising weapon
Repeatedly and at all levels, the main goals and objectives of the Avangard project were indicated. As part of 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 current form is the UR-100N UTTH ICBM, which performs the functions of the carrier of the planning warhead. In the future, the promising heavy-class ICBM RS-28 Sarmat will also be the carrier of the Avangard product. The emergence of such a version of the missile system will become possible after the completion of the current work on the "Sarmat", ie. not earlier than the beginning of the twenties.
The actual product "Avangard" is a hypersonic gliding winged unit - an aircraft of a special design, capable of showing 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, which acts as a carrier, Avangard takes off and accelerates to hypersonic speed. Then the unit independently performs a gliding flight to the target. The highest flight speed and the ability to maneuver in course and altitude provide certain advantages over existing types of warheads. It is known about the possibility of obtaining an intercontinental flight range. The combat load has not yet been specified.
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 anti-missiles designed to combat ICBMs.
It is expected that the Avangard missile systems will become an important addition to existing ICBMs with a "classic" combat load. The warheads of ICBMs of the R-36M2, UR-100N UTTKh, 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 the "Vanguards" can enter other units. The consequences of the delivery and development of such weapons are obvious. Russian strategic nuclear forces will preserve and increase their strike potential, as well as protect themselves from potential enemy missile defense systems for a certain period.
