Russia has entered into service its first hypersonic, nuclear-capable “Avangard” missiles, marking a significant upgrade to its combat capabilities, amid an effective arms race with the United States.

“The first missile regiment equipped with latest strategic missiles with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle entered service at 10 am Moscow time on December 27,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in televised remarks on Friday.

Minister Shoigu described the development as a “landmark event for the country and the armed forces.”

AFP cited Russian defense officials as saying that the first Avangard regiment was based in the Orenburg region, south of Russia’s Urals, in an area near Kazakhstan.

Avangard, which was featured for the first time in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual address to the Federal Assembly in early March 2018, has been touted by the president as the centerpiece of Russia’s super advanced weapons.

Russian officials have said that the Avangard is a highly maneuverable missile that, during testing, reached speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound — approximately equaling a staggering 33,000 kilometers per hour.