New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday announced that Moscow has started production of a nuclear-powered cruise missile, which he has asserted would be three-times faster than the speed of sound based on the current designs of the Burevestnik missile.
“I would especially like to note the unique regime of powerful ultra-small nuclear reactors of the rocket… A new generation of weapons types is already being created on the basis of such power plants. Moreover, the development of the next generation of cruise missiles with nuclear engines has begun,” Putin said at an awards ceremony for the developers of Russia’s latest military technologies—the Burevestnik missile system and the Poseidon underwater vehicle.
“Their speed will be more than three times faster than the speed of sound, and in the future they will become hypersonic.”
It should be noted that the Burevestnik missile—successfully tested last month—is powered by a small nuclear reactor, which gives it a “limitless” range, according to Putin. The successful test was announced days after US president Donald Trump imposed sanctions on two of the largest Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.
Last week, Trump while in South Korea for an international summit announced that the US will be restarting nuclear weapons testing following Russia and China’s consistent build up of a nuclear arsenal.
The change in American nuclear testing policy is perceived as partly as a result of Putin’s announcement of successes with the nuclear-powered missile technology.
What is Burevestnik?
“In terms of flight range, ‘Burevestnik’, as you know, surpassed all known missile systems in the world. It has a high accuracy of hitting the target, which it clearly, confidently achieves in a pre-calculated time,” said Putin.
“I think foreign specialists were also able to make sure of this, since the NATO reconnaissance ship was constantly in the zone and during the tests of ‘Burevestnik’ on 21 October. It didn’t interfere with the missile’s work. Let them see.”
Last month, General Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian military, announced the Burevestnik flew for about 15 hours and covered a distance of roughly 14,000 kms unhindered.
The 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel) is also dubbed as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The weapons system was first announced by Putin in 2018, as a part of six strategic defence platforms to ensure that Russia maintains a technological edge in defence.
It is a ground-launched, low-flying cruise missile that is not only capable of carrying a nuclear warhead but is also nuclear powered, according to Reuters. Moscow claims that it can evade the current air defence systems deployed by the US.
The nuclear propulsion is developed to ensure that the missile can travel far longer than the existing turbojet or turbofan engines. The current conventional technology is limited by the amount of fuel it can carry, Reuters reported. Its longer range indicates that the missile could potentially strike targets in the US and launch from anywhere across Russia.
Apart from the Burevestnik, Putin also announced that the Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) would be introduced for combat testing this year and deployed for combat in the next year, as Moscow looks to gain the strategic edge in defence technologies.
“Our country does not threaten anyone. Russia, like all other nuclear powers, is developing its nuclear potential, developing its strategic potential. All we’ve been talking about just now is a long-announced work,” said Putin.
The Russian President declared: “The result you have achieved is of no exaggeration historical importance for our people, for ensuring security and strategic parity for decades to come, we can safely say for the entire 21st century.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: ‘If not India, someone else will buy Russian oil,’ says Russian envoy Alipov ahead of Trump deadline