Russian military shows new hypersonic nuclear missile

Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The Russian military demonstrated its new hypersonic nuclear missile Tuesday for a team of inspectors from the United States, as part of a bilateral arms control treaty, the Kremlin said.

The Avangard missile system was announced last year and has been in development for most of 2019, the Kremlin said. Military officials said the missile is highly mobile and can outsmart U.S. missile defenses.

U.S. inspectors traveled to Russia as part of the treaty it has with Moscow. The Avangard intercontinental ballistic missile is said to be capable of flying at 20 times the speed of sound.

"A U.S. inspection group was shown the Avangard missile system with the hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on the territory of Russia [between Sunday and Tuesday]," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Russian officials said in July they wanted to increase cooperation with the United States and extend the New START arms treaty before it expires in 2021. It was last extended in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The pact places a cap on 1,500 developed weapons, 700 deployed missiles and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers.