World’s fastest missile can reach Kashmir to Kanyakumari in just 5 minutes; it’s not made by US but…
Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle: As the world rapidly moving towards better air defence technology, missiles developed by the most powerful countries of the world are also undergoing massive changes. Moreover, we are living in a world where the missile technology of a nation is seen as a key indicator of the nation’s military strength. Very recently, India conducted various strikes on Pakistan through Operation Sindoor, killing more than a hundred terrorists through its BrahMos supersonic missile, beating the Chinese-supplied air defence systems, thus proving its air superiority over Pakistan and China. However, do you know which missiles are known as the fastest missiles of the world.
One of the most powerful and fastest missiles in the world is known to be the Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle, developed by Russia.
Russian President on Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
As mentioned earlier, the Avangard (Avangard Hypersonic Glide Vehicle) is the world’s fastest missile. As per a report carried by Reuters, President Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to US development of a new generation of weapons and a U.S. missile defence system that it could penetrate.
The Russian President added about the missile that as it approaches its target, the Avangard glide vehicle detaches from the rocket and is able to manoeuvre sharply outside the trajectory of the rocket at hypersonic speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound (about 21,000 miles per hour or 34,000 kilometres per hour).
Therefore, if we take an example to understand the speed, Kashmir to Kanyakumari is about 3,400 km, so this missile will take only 5 to 6 minutes to cover the distance.
The report also mentions that Russia installed its first Avangard-equipped missile in 2019 at the same Orenburg facility.
Fastest missiles of China and India
Comparing the Russian missiles from China, the Chinese DF-41 missile has a speed of Mach 25. It can carry up to 10 Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs). On the other hand, India’s one of the most advanced missile, Agni-V missile has a speed of Mach 24 (29,400 km/h). With a range of 8,000 km, it can carry 3-6 MIRV warheads.
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