Is Russia's Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile a Real Threat?

Russia's Burevestnik Missile Test

• 🚀 Russia claims a successful test flight of its nuclear-powered cruise missile, the SSC-X-9 Skyfall (9M730 Burevestnik), flying for 15 hours.
• ⚠️ This missile concept, abandoned by the US in the 1960s, is seen by Russia as a unique weapon that demands respect.
• 💥 A 2019 disaster during testing resulted in a radioactivity release detected in Scandinavia, killing several personnel.

The Concept of Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missiles

• 💡 The core idea is a cruise missile powered by a nuclear reactor driving a jet engine, replacing traditional fuel burners with a heat exchanger.
• ⚡ This theoretically allows for much longer endurance, potentially weeks or months, compared to chemical propellants.
• 🇺🇸 The US explored similar concepts post-WWII with nuclear turbojets and ramjets, including the NB-36H aircraft and Project Pluto (SLAM).

US Historical Development and Abandonment

• ✈️ The NB-36H program aimed to test a nuclear reactor in the air, featuring extensive radiation shielding and a modified aircraft design.
• 🚀 Project Pluto's SLAM (Supersonic Low-Altitude Missile) was a nuclear ramjet cruise missile designed for autonomous attack, dropping multiple warheads.
• ⚖️ The US abandoned these programs, viewing them as "doomsday weapons" and potential triggers for further arms races, already possessing effective ICBMs.

Modern Relevance and Skepticism

• 🎯 Russia's development may be a response to advancements in US missile defense systems, offering an alternative delivery method.
• ❓ It's unclear if the Russian missile uses a turbojet or a ramjet; a ramjet is more efficient at supersonic speeds, but the test flight was subsonic.
• 🌍 The missile's demonstrated subsonic speed and lack of stealth suggest its primary value might be as a "g-whiz" technology rather than a truly effective weapon.
• 🛰️ While Russia claims a unique threat, the US has advanced missile defense and alternative warhead testing capabilities, like the National Ignition Facility, without needing to test physical warheads.
• ⚖️ The US is considering aligning its nuclear testing posture with adversaries, but developing a nuclear cruise missile is questioned as a useful application of resources.