Russia Commissions Intercontinental Hypersonic Weapon

A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Russia’s defense minister reported to President Putin.
Russia Commissions Intercontinental Hypersonic Weapon
An intercontinental ballistic missile lifts off from a truck-mounted launcher somewhere in Russia. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP
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MOSCOW—A new intercontinental weapon that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Russia’s defense minister reported to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Putin has described the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle as a technological breakthrough comparable to the 1957 Soviet launch of the first satellite. The new Russian weapon and a similar system being developed by China have troubled the United States, which has pondered defense strategies.