Reports indicate that Russia had anticipated launching its Avangard hypersonic missile between September 3 and 5 at the Dombarovsky test site in the Orenburg region. This test was significant as it would have been the first since 2018 for this missile system, which is integral to Russia’s strategic missile forces.
Prior to the launch, Russia issued NOTAM notices to pilots, restricting air travel in designated danger zones, particularly around missile silos equipped with Avangards. Additionally, flight restrictions were imposed in the Tyumen region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, areas identified for potential missile debris fall.
The NOTAM also covered the Kura test site in Kamchatka, where the warhead of the Avangard was expected to land after targeting a mock objective.
Residents in three districts of the Tyumen region were informed about the upcoming launch. Had the intercontinental ballistic missile test been successful, Russian authorities would likely have made an official announcement, especially considering the Avangard’s status as a “symbolically important weapon” for the nation, as noted by an expert from the UN Institute.
Conversely, the expert posited that a failed launch likely did not occur, as it would have prompted an immediate cancellation of the NOTAM, which did not happen.
“Given the circumstances, Russia was prepared to launch the Avangard from Dombarovsky to Kura but had to cancel the test for some reason,” the expert stated, suggesting that another attempt could be expected soon.
Yuri Borisov, who led Roscosmos in 2018, previously mentioned that the Avangard could reach speeds up to 27 Mach, surpassing the first cosmic speed of approximately 23.2 Mach. At such speeds, objects can no longer maintain a stable orbit around Earth and instead venture into outer space.
Context
- The last successful launch of the Avangard occurred in December 2018, attended by Russia’s illegitimate president, Vladimir Putin. At that time, the U.S. State Department noted that Russia has been violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty since 2014.
