Russian Missile Troop Commander Says Sarmat ICBM Can Carry Hypersonic Weapons

JAKARTA - Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of carrying several hypersonic weapons, a senior Russian military officer said on Sunday.

Colonel General Sergei Karakayev, commander of the Russian Military Strategic Missile Forces said in televised remarks the new Sarmat ICBM was designed to carry the Avangard hypersonic glide weapon.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Sarmat conducted a test fire for the first time last Wednesday from the Plesetsk launch facility in northern Russia. Its drill warheads hit a mock target at the Kura firing range, in the far east of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

The test launch comes amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West over Russia's military action in Ukraine and underscores the Kremlin's emphasis on the country's nuclear prowess.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the launch of the Sarmat as a major achievement, claiming that the missile has no foreign rival and is capable of penetrating any defense.

"This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those, who in their frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice," President Putin said last week. News 25 April.

The Sarmat is a heavy missile that has been in development for several years to replace the Soviet-made Voyevoda, which is codenamed 'Satan' by the West and is the core of Russia's nuclear deterrent.

Meanwhile, the Russian military says the Avangard can fly 27 times faster than the speed of sound and make sharp maneuvers to evade enemy missile shields.

New hypersonic missiles have been fitted to existing Soviet-made ICBMs, and the first units armed with the Avangard entered service in December 2019.

As for the director and chief designer of the Makeyev missile maker that developed the Sarmat, Vladimir Degtyar, said in televised remarks, its range allows it to fly along any trajectory across the north or south poles to hit any target around the world.