A key Russian missile formation in Orenburg is undergoing a comprehensive rearmament with the state-of-the-art Avangard missiles, which will completely replace the unit's outdated weapons, according to Moscow's Defense Ministry.
All necessary preparatory works at the Yasnenskoye missile formation have been completed and ballistic missiles are reportedly being loaded into the shaft launchers by means of a special hydraulic mechanism.
The Defense Ministry said the planned replacement of the obsolete Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile in 2022 would significantly increase the combat capabilities of Russia's strategic nuclear forces.
The development of the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) began in the Soviet era. However, progress on the complex was delayed. It was first put into combat duty in December 2019.
The Avangard hypersonic missile complex is designed to neutralize the missile defense systems of potential adversaries. The complex features a hypersonic-guided warhead, and the missile itself can carry up to six nuclear warheads. According to open sources, the power of a single Avangard warhead ranges from 800 kilotons to two megatons, comparable to the explosion of about 130 Hiroshima bombs.