Putin watching launch
© Kremlin photoPutin watches launch of hypersonic missile at National Center for State Defense Control in Moscow.
The German edition Die Welt reported that the Russian complex Avangard caused "panic" in the United States. Military analyst Andrei Koshkin commented on the situation, expressing hope that this could force Washington to continue negotiations.

According to the German newspaper, the Avangard complex, equipped with a hypersonic glider block, is a "New Year gift for the Russians", and the development of this hypersonic missile system caused a certain nervousness in the USA. The paper emphasizes that Americans will now be forced to "act under pressure."

In early November, the Pentagon launched a project to create a hypersonic weapons interception system, the Glide-Breaker Program, and announced an urgent tender for defense companies. Companies should present their ideas for an "air defense system to intercept missiles with gliding hypersonic block in the upper layers of the atmosphere."

According to the publication, what really causes this restlessness in the US is the "invisibility" of the new Russian system before the American radar, and not the speed or maneuverability of the new missiles.

Political scientist Andrei Koshkin:
"Of course, today, not only US and Western European military experts, but also political leaders who are shocked by the mistakes they made, underestimating Russia's capabilities. President Vladimir Putin warned that we would create weapons with such characteristics that they would probably overtake all anti-missile defenses, they probably did not believe in us."
Koshkin believes that Washington could deploy its new radar units in Europe, disregarding the views of European countries.
"That's why Pentagon interim chief Patrick Shanahan, who has been involved in the creation of missiles, will now invest in a medium-range missile, for which Congress has already allocated funds. Of course, Europe is concerned about the US, without considering the opinion of the European countries, to flood Europe with new missile launchers, to somehow balance their omissions. I think a successful test of the Avangard missile complex will cause the international community to put pressure on the US to sit down at the negotiating table."
On December 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the completion of tests of the hypersonic missile system Avangard, which will enter service of the Russian Army in 2019.