The written statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense noted that work continues on the Yasnenskiy missile field in the southern Orenburg region of the country.[1] The statement indicated that as part of the ongoing work, the Avangard missile has been placed in the launch depot at the field, with the step aimed at enhancing Russia’s strategic nuclear forces’ combat capabilities.
It is claimed that the Avangard intercontinental missile, possessing nuclear attack capability, remains undetectable by enemy defense systems and can easily bypass air defense systems. It is stated that the missile, equipped with a hypersonic warhead, can reach speeds up to 20 times the speed of sound, maneuver superbly, and fly at altitudes of up to 9 kilometers. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Avangard as “invincible” like some other new strategic weapons in 2018.[2]
Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized how his country’s Avangard hypersonic missile system renders ineffective the billions of dollars invested by the United States (US) and Western allies in missile defense technologies:[3]
“If you compare the spending they [the United States] constantly keep on the agenda regarding missile defenses in the American public with Avangard, which is an intercontinental ballistic missile integrated with an intercontinental glide vehicle, our primary solution to overcome their defenses, you would make a mistake. Essentially, we have nullified all their efforts, causing all the significant investments they made in missile defense systems to turn into waste.”
According to Moscow’s claims, the Avangard can travel at Mach 27 hypersonic speed, which means it can move at over 32,000 km/h. This speed capacity is high enough to render any air defense system ineffective. Since its introduction to the public in 2018, the system has been positioned as the cornerstone of the country’s hypersonic capabilities. Russia’s inventory includes three hypersonic missiles: Avangard, Kinzhal, and Zircon (or Tsirkon) hypersonic missiles. Both Kinzhal and Zircon have been used against Ukraine in ongoing conflicts, further highlighting the importance of the potential use of Avangard.[4]
Considering the increasing nuclear weapon implications and the capacity of the Avangard missile system repeatedly mentioned by Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it has become inevitable for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to address this issue. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Russia’s arsenal of hypersonic weapons necessitates alliance countries to establish a comprehensive and multi-layered missile defense system.
Stoltenberg made the following statements during the press conference held on NATO’s 2023 activity report:[5]
“Hypersonic missiles pose a threat and demonstrate Russia’s significant investment in the development of modern weapon systems. However, I believe we have also demonstrated (during the conflict in Ukraine) NATO’s defense capability against Russian hypersonic missiles. This underscores the importance of not only qualitatively but also quantitatively strengthening air and missile defense systems.”
Additionally, Stoltenberg stated that NATO currently does not see any direct military threat from Russia to any country in the Alliance, including Finland. The NATO Secretary-General acknowledged in his speech that Ukraine used missiles provided by the alliance against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, claiming that as a result, the Ukrainian Army managed to repel the Russian Black Sea Fleet and open a corridor from Odessa.[6]
Stoltenberg emphasized that defense planning and setting standards are the primary tasks of the Alliance, stating that the European Union (EU) should not compete with NATO; otherwise, it would weaken collective security. Referring to NATO’s long-standing calls for European allies to increase defense investments, Stoltenberg used the following expressions:[7]
“Of course, the only way to increase defense production is to spend more. This is NATO’s call to all allies, but especially to European allies. Initially, conveying this message was somewhat challenging, but now I feel that allies understand it.”
Stoltenberg’s remarks calling on NATO members to increase defense spending in light of the Avangard system also bring another agenda to mind: addressing the periodic EU-US rifts within NATO and the debates questioning the functionality of NATO in this context, by adapting and eliminating the Ukraine War and Russia within the concept of “securitization.”
Stoltenberg, answering journalists’ questions about the EU’s new defense strategy, used the following expressions:[8]
“We are in close contact with the EU. I recently met with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. We discussed the matter in detail, and our staff are also in close contact. We welcome the efforts of the EU when it comes to overcoming fragmentation in the European defense industry. It is essential that NATO remains the only organization responsible for defense planning. You cannot have two different target sets for the same countries. Setting standards and defense planning are coordinating tasks. They cannot be duplicated. Otherwise, we would weaken our security. It is important for the EU to focus on areas where it truly adds value to NATO rather than competing with it.”
In conclusion, the emphasis on Russia’s Avangard missile system’s capabilities is being utilized by NATO to increase Western public attention on Ukraine. The concept that Russia poses a fundamental security issue for the West simultaneously becomes functional within NATO to counteract internal disagreements. However, Russia’s aggressive statements strengthen the perception among sectors that do not support the mainstream Ukrainian view, that the West is pushing Ukraine into a deadlock.
[1] Abay, E., “Rus Ordusu, Nükleer Kapasiteli Hipersonik ‘Avangard’ Füzesini Fırlatma Deposuna Yerleştirdi”, Anadolu Ajansı, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/rus-ordusu-nukleer-kapasiteli-hipersonik-avangard-fuzesini-firlatma-deposuna-yerlestirdi/3055314, (Access Date: 15.03.2024).
[2] Same source.
[3]Lenkov, A., “Mach 27 Dash Makes The US Missile Defense Futile, Putin Says”, Bulgarian Military, https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2024/03/15/mach-27-dash-makes-the-us-missile-defense-futile-putin-says/ (Access Date: 15.03.2024).
[4] Tiwari, S., “At Mach 20+, Russia Puts “Un-Interceptable” Avangard HGV On Combat Duty; Comes After Kinzhal & Zircon See Action”, Eurasian Times, https://www.eurasiantimes.com/zircon-avangard-russia-puts-its-most-dangerous/, (Access Date: 15.03.2024).
[5] “Putin ‘Avangard’ Sistemini Vurgulamıştı: Stoltenberg’den Rus Hipersonik Silahlarına Dair Açıklama”, Sputnik, https://sputniknews.com.tr/20240314/putin-avangard-sistemini-vurgulamisti-stoltenbergden-rus-hipersonik-silahlarina-dair-aciklama-1081696138.html, (Access Date: 15.03.2024).
[6] Same source.
[7] Same source.
[8] Same source.
