Why is it in news?
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Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed final tests of a hypersonic missile, which he had earlier said would render existing missile systems obsolete.
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The final test comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to pull out of a key Cold War-era nuclear weapons pact.
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Test had taken place in far eastern Kamchatka.
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Mr. Putin had unveiled features of the Avangard during his annual address in March, which he said would be part of a new generation of “invincible” weaponry.
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The hypersonic missile could fly at 20 times the speed of sound and manoeuvre up and down, meaning that it could breach defence systems.
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The intercontinental “Avangard” system would be ready for use from 2019.
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The final test comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to pull out of a key Cold War-era nuclear weapons pact, the three-decade-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)
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Mr. Putin has laid out plans to develop missiles banned under the deal if the U.S. abandons it.
Source
The Hindu