Two down, more to go? With hypersonic weapons already in the field, Russia looks to improve features March 15 The Avangard hypersonic vehicle blasts off during a test launch at an undisclosed location in Russia. (RU-RTR Russian Television via AP) See a test of Russia s Avangard missile. MOSCOW Hypersonic weapons are a top priority for the Russian government, a defense analyst with the state-run think tank IMEMO has told Defense News, and with two now fielded, the country is looking into further improving the technology. “The so-called hypersonic technology is essentially an evolutionary development. However, it provides new, combined abilities for missile weapons: increased speed and maneuverability, and improved accuracy,” Dmitry Stefanovich said. “I can’t imagine a person who is responsible for the decision-making in the country and who wouldn’t be interested in improving all those features.”