‘Russia’s new weapons have no match’
MOSCOW (AP) —President Vladimir Putin says Russia’s new weapons have no foreign equivalents and will help ensure the country’s security for decades to come.
Putin, speaking during Tuesday’s meeting with the top military brass in Moscow, specifically mentioned the new Kinzhal hypersonic missile and the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, saying they have significantly bolstered Russia’s military capability.
Kinzhal has already been commissioned by the military. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the aircraftcarried Kinzhal missiles have been flown on 89 patrol missions this year.
Shoigu said the Avangard will enter service with the military next year. Putin said Russia would have to respond to the planned US withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. He reaffirmed a strong denial of Washington’s claim that Russia had violated the pact with a new land-based cruise missile and blamed the US for breaking it.
He argued that Russia has no need for such a land-based weapon because it already has similar missiles on its ships and aircraft.
Washington warned this month it would suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 60 days if Russia did not return to full compliance.
The US claims the 9M729 cruise missile breaches the INF, which bans all land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation.
Putin said the Russian military has successfully tested air-launched Kh-101 and sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles with a range of 4,500km in combat in Syria.
“It has probably made our partners worry, but it doesn’t violate the INF treaty,” Putin said.
Putin said the treaty signed by US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev didn’t limit sea-and air-launched cruise missiles, which the Soviet Union didn’t have at the time and the US did in significant numbers.
The Russian president argued that the pact represented “unilateral disarmament” for the Soviet Union, adding: “God only knows why the Soviet leadership did it.”
He emphasized that with Russian strategic bombers and navy ships now armed with long-range cruise missiles, it makes the development of similar landbased weapons redundant.
“It makes no difference whatsoever if we have a Kalibr-armed submarine or aircraft carrying missiles or similar weapons ashore,” he said. “We can strike any targets within the range of 4,500km from the territory of Russia.”
Kinzhal has already been commissioned by the military, which put them in service with a squadron of MiG-31 fighter jets.
Putin suggested that other countries that built intermediate-range missiles should be engaged in talks on a possible new agreement.