Putin claims Russia has nuclear arsenal capable of avoiding missile defenses
MOSCOW — Russia has developed nuclear weapons that can avoid missile defense systems and plans to bolster its arsenal with nuclear-powered cruise missiles capable of hitting any point on the globe, President Vladimir Putin claimed in his annual state-of-the-nation address Thursday.
He also warned that Moscow would mobilize an immediate response to any nuclear attack on it or its allies — adopting Cold War-style overtones that appeared to ramp up Russia’s posturing against the West.
Putin speech — which began with a rundown of domestic projects — was capped by a harsh rendering of East-West tensions and boasts over purported major advances in Russia’s arsenal such as a nuclear-powered cruise missile that could strike anywhere.
Putin cast the new plans as a response to U.S. development of missile-defense systems that, he claimed, were meant to challenge Russia’s nuclear arsenal. His remarks appeared aimed as a message to Washington in the wake of the Trump administration’s recently announced plans to develop new nuclear arms and questions over the future of arms-control agreements between the United States and Russia.
His speech also carried a domestic political context: less than three weeks before a presidential election that Putin is widely expected to win. The Kremlin is hoping for high turnout March 18 that would deliver a stamp of legitimacy on a new, six-year term for Putin.
His descriptions of Russia’s new weapons came punctuated with videos projected on the screen behind him, which were greeted by applause from the assembled lawmakers and top officials.
Putin said the United States had failed to take Russia’s nuclear might seriously or to adequately negotiate arms control. U.S. efforts to contain Russia, he said, had failed.
“No one listened to us,” Putin said. “Listen to us now.”
Putin claimed that, late last year, Russia had successfully tested a cruise missile that was propelled by a nuclear-powered engine. This engine gave the cruise missile an effective unlimited range, he said, distinguishing it from existing cruise missiles that typically have a range of about 600 miles.
The missile would be able to fly close to the ground and follow an unpredictable flight path, rendering existing missile defenses “useless,” Putin said.
Tests of the technology, he said, “will allow the development of a complete new type of weapon — a strategic complex of nuclear arms with rockets fitted with a nuclear-propulsion engine.”
Such a missile would represent a major technological breakthrough, said Alexander Golts, a Moscow-based independent analyst of the Russian military.
There was no independent confirmation of Russia’s development of the technology. But weapons experts he had spoken to after the speech, Golts said, “were all in shock, like me.”
“This is the start of a new Cold War,” Golts said. “This is an effort to scare the West.”
Putin also said that a multiyear testing cycle for a nuclear-powered underwater drone, which can carry a nuclear warhead, was completed in December 2017. “Means to resist them simply don’t exist in the world today,” Putin said of the underwater drones.
The nearly two-hour speech in a historic hall just outside the Kremlin walls began with a series of promises to improve domestic living standards.
Russia, Putin asserted, had responded to U.S. development of missile defense shields by developing weapons impervious to them.
On the big screen behind him, video footage and computer graphics showed off the new weapons. In one animation, the nuclear-powered cruise missile was shown flying across the Atlantic, rounding the southern tip of South America, and heading up the Pacific toward the U.S. mainland.
“I hope everything that has been said today will sober any potential aggressor,” Putin said.
Putin cast the Russian weapons development as a response to what he described as U.S. refusal to work with Russia on arms control. Russian officials were angry over Pentagon plans announced last month to introduce two new types of nuclear weapons — plans that the Trump administration, in turn, said were a response to the threat from Russia.
“I will tell those who have been trying to fuel arms race for 15 years and deter Russia’s development using illegal sanctions: attempts to deter Russia have failed,” Putin said, harking back to the Bush Administration’s withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002.
“Russia's growing military might is a reliable guarantee of peace on Earth, because this can continue to help maintain strategic balance and the global balance of forces.”
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On the big screen behind him, video footage and computer graphics showed off the new weapons. In one animation, the nuclear-powered cruise missile was shown flying across the Atlantic, rounding the southern tip of South America, and heading up the Pacific toward the U.S. mainland.
Nuclear powered engines on nuclear tipped missiles. Wonderful.
“No one listened to us,” Putin said. “Listen to us now.”
And it appears that all this was going on under Obama's nose, that no strategic intelligence was going on. Trump hasn't been in office long enough to have had any influence, but seeking a better relationship might be a good idea, even though some left wing nuts would like to see us go to war with Russia.
If Putin said Russia has successfully developed a nuclear fission machine that will fit in a shoebox, you would shake your tiny fists at Obama and send Putin a love letter.
I do not believe that for a single fucking second. Aside from being absurdly expensive, I have zero confidence in any claim that Russia is technologically capable of achieving such a thing. Even if they are, so what? Multiple other nation's still have the ability to lay waste to Russia if they attack, a nuclear powered missile does not change that.
Honestly, it doesn't bother me in the least that Putin is wasting money on his nuclear arsenal rather than trying to fix the numerous social ills that are dragging Russia down.
It does seem a little unrealistic to power a missile with a nuclear engine. However, if it were true, it could be a game changer. To be hit with a nuke and not know where it came from is an end of the world scenario.
Again, I doubt that Russia has the technical knowhow to do it, and even if they did it would be prohibitively expensive.
If that is the case, I'm sure Trump would be happy to provide him with all the technical assistance he needs,
True, he already gave them top secret intel once. Trump is putins bitch.
So this is where Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf went to work after Saddam fell... nice to see he got another gig. He sure was entertaining back in 2003.
Does this missile happen to travel at 88 miles per hour?
Does this missile happen to travel at 88 miles per hour?
Maybe yes...maybe no:
(Supposedly this was the first actual Rock and Roll song-- although some disagree, In any event, nice tune
Nice photos-- Ya gotta love Bettie Page!
Definitely. Too bad Ike turned out to be, well, you know....Ike....
Well thank goodness we have trump in office to say or do somthing about this threat! /s
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Trump probably already sent putin a, "good job, now you can nuke us and cyber attack us at the same time and i am complete coward and a POS so i wont do a damn thing about it! Hell, i already threw the sanctions Congress approved in the trash MONTHS ago!
Your pal, Donny...
P.S. cant wait for you to send me another jar of your cum, last batch was wonderful!"
More Russian bs. Next thing we'll hear is 'the nuclear tipped gas station' is giving away free mugs with each fill up.