In an interview with local media, the president said well-developed science is a prerequisite for the creation of high-end weapons. "How would we have done that if we hadn’t had fundamental science, scientific schools, highly professional staff? It would have been impossible", Putin said, adding that currently Moscow possesses weapons that no other country has.
Last year the president said Russia continued developing unique weaponry after successfully creating hypersonic weapons. Putin stressed that the aim of the high-technology is to ensure Russia’s security in the face of rising threats.
The development comes after US President Donald Trump's announcement on 15 May that the country’s military is working on what Trump described as a "super duper missile", which will be seventeen times faster than all other current missiles.
In December of 2019, President Putin stressed that Russia was leading the world in hypersonic weapons. A year earlier, Putin unveiled the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, which is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads, as well as the Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic cruise missile.
Besides hypersonic weapons, Moscow is developing other high-tech weaponry, including the RS-28 Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of carrying 10 tonnes of payload. According to reports, it will enter service in 2021.