Naples Herald:
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military will soon receive new nuclear weapons, which are far ahead of any foreign designs, President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
Speaking at a meeting in Sochi, Putin said delivery of the new Avangard hypersonic vehicle will begin next year, while the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will enter duty in 2020. The Avangard and the Sarmat were among an array of new nuclear weapons Putin presented in March.
The Russian leader said then that the Avangard has an intercontinental range and can fly in the atmosphere at a speed 20 times the speed of sound. The Russian leader added that the weapon can change both its course and its altitude en route to a target, making it “absolutely invulnerable to any air or missile defense means.”
