Putin Claims New ‘Invincible’ Missile Can Pierce US Defenses

Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted Thursday of new weaponry he claims will render NATO defenses “completely useless,” delivering a warning to the world about Russia’s resurgent military might.

In an annual address to the Russian Parliament, the Kremlin leader said Russia had developed a new, nuclear-capable cruise missile with “unlimited” range that is capable of eluding air-defense systems.

He also said Russia had developed an “invincible” missile that can deliver a warhead at hypersonic speed.

Putin is running for re-election in mid-March on a platform that emphasizes his strength as a leader. Thursday’s speech was an occasion for the Russian President to showcase his country’s strides in military technology.

“Russia still has the greatest nuclear potential in the world, but nobody listened to us,” he said. “Listen now.”

One new development: The creation of a low-flying cruise missile capable of stealthy operation. Putin said the missile would be nuclear-powered and showed a video simulating its flight.

“Since the range is unlimited, it can maneuver as much as necessary,” Putin said.

Another military development, Putin said, was a weapon capable of flying “like a meteorite” at several times the speed of sound.

“It will be practically invulnerable,” he said. “The speed will be hypersonic.”

The missile, called the Avangard, has been successfully tested, Russia Strategic Missile Force Commander Sergei Karakayev told the state news agency Tass.

“Creating the strategic missile system Avangard, equipped with a glide vehicle, has become a no less efficient response to the deployment of the American anti-missile defenses,” Karakayev said, according to Tass. “Its testing has been successfully completed.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry has launched a web page seeking the public’s help with naming its new arsenal.

A US official with knowledge of the latest Russian military assessment expressed doubt to CNN that the weapons Putin described were anywhere near operational, and said that if Russia ever attacked the United States it would be met with overwhelming force.

The official said the United States had observed a small number of Russian tests of its nuclear-powered cruise missile and seen them all crash.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that Putin’s remarks confirmed what the United States has long known. “Russia has been developing destabilizing weapons systems for over a decade, in direct violation of its treaty obligations,” she said.

“President Trump understands the threats facing America and our allies in this century and is determined to protect our homeland and preserve peace through strength,” she added. “US defense capabilities are and will remain second to none.”

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said department officials watched Putin’s speech — which included an animation of a nuclear strike against the United States — with interest.

“It was certainly unfortunate to have watched the video animation that depicted a nuclear attack on the United States,” she said. “That’s certainly something that we did not enjoy watching. We don’t regard that as the behavior of a responsible international player.”

Source: CNN