Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation boost hypersonic weapons development
Russia is increasing its activities in the area of hypersonic weapons, according to Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV’s) director general Boris Obnosov.
Russia’s first regiment of Avangard hypersonic missiles was put into service in December 2019. The location has not been specified, although some officials had earlier indicated it would be deployed in the Urals.
Obnosov said that the KTRV’s enterprises are developing dozens of hypersonic weapons projects in praetorship with the Central Aerodynamic Institute and the Central Institute of Aviation Motors. He confirmed that development of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile is on schedule. KTRV is expected to become one of the major national centre of hypersonic technologies.
KTRV is expected to conclude three major projects on air-to-air missiles and implement some programmes for air-to-surface weapons and 500 kg and 1,500 kg guided bombs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made public that the nuclear-capable missiles was capable of travelling more than 20 times the speed of sound. The hypersonic system is also reportedly equipped with a “glide system” that provides great manoeuvrability and could make the missele impossible to defend against.
Putin first unveiled the Avangard system in his annual state-of-the-nation address in March 2018, likening it to a “meteorite” and a “fireball”.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed the “Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle entered service on 27 December”, calling it a “landmark event”.
In the meanwhile, Russian MoD has decided to develop a new multipurpose long-range interception missile system which will even be capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons, Izvestia reports, citing sources in the MoD.
Defence Insight Analysis
KTRV, (Russian: АО «Корпорация Тактическое Ракетное Вооружение», КТРВ), is a key Russian weapon manufacturer, specialised in missiles development, headquartered in Korolyov, Moscow Oblast.
According to UAwire eight unauthorised people accessed the top-secret KTRV defence plant. It is still unknown who gained access to the secret military plant. Experts quoted in UAwire believe that the information about Russian missile weapons could have been leaked during this unauthorised access.
“Unknown people had access to the secret plant of the Tactical Missiles Corporation in the city of Korolyov for more than a year. The local security service found out that someone had hired eight janitors, but, they did not exist. The system recorded multiple entries into the plant after 6 P.M.,” reported the news outlet Baza quoted in UAwire.
