RT published an analysis yesterday arguing that Donald Trump’s planned Golden Dome missile defense system may not be able to stop Russia’s Burevestnik nuclear powered cruise missile. The Golden Dome has barely begun to take shape, while the status of the Burevestnik is unclear though evidence has surfaced that it may be approaching deployment in the near future. “If verified, this would mark the next phase in the deployment of a weapon capable of shaking the foundations of global strategic stability,” writes Russian military expert Dmitry Kornev.
The Burevestnik “launches from a ground platform using a solid-fuel booster, then switches to an air-breathing nuclear-powered jet engine once it reaches cruising speed. In theory, this engine heats incoming air via a compact nuclear reactor, allowing the missile to stay airborne for weeks or even months without refueling,” Kornev writes. “Sources estimate the missile’s operational range at 22,000 km, though in practice it may be virtually unlimited. Such a missile could patrol potential conflict zones indefinitely, awaiting launch commands. Upon receiving orders, it could maneuver toward targets from unpredictable vectors, making interception extraordinarily difficult.
“Effectively, the Burevestnik is designed to serve as a ‘doomsday weapon’– a guaranteed retaliatory strike platform in the event of nuclear war.”
