US State Department Says Russia's Sarmat ICBM, Avangard Would Be Subject To New START

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published May 15, 2019 | 09:37 PM

The United States believes that Russia's Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile and Avangard hypersonic system should count as weapons that are subject to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), US Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson said on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2019) The United States believes that Russia's Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile and Avangard hypersonic system should count as weapons that are subject to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), US Under Secretary of State Andrea Thompson said on Wednesday.

"The Sarmat heavy ICBM and Avangard hypersonic system would count as existing types and be subject to New START at the appropriate point in their development cycle," Thompson said in prepared testimony to the Senate Foreign Affaires Committee.

Washington also assesses that three other Russian systems - a nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile - constitute a "new kind of strategic offensive arms for purposes of New START," Thompson added.