Russia has tested an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that can’t be intercepted, President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday, claiming a technological breakthrough that could dramatically increase Russia’s military capability, boost the Kremlin’s global position and also raise Western concerns about a potential renewed arms race in the 21st century.
Speaking in a state-of-the-nation speech, Putin said the weapons include a nuclear-powered cruise missile, a nuclear-powered underwater drone and new hypersonic missile that have no equivalent elsewhere in the world. He said the creation of the new weapons has made Nato’s US-led missile defence “useless”, and means an effective end to what he described as Western efforts to stymie Russia’s development.
He noted that Russia had to develop the new weapons as the US has developed a missile defence system that threatened to undermine the Russian nuclear deterrent and ignored Moscow’s concerns about it. “No one has listened to us”, he said. “You listen to us now”.
The bombshell announcement comes as Putin is set to easily win another six-year presidential term in the March 18 election. He said that the nuclear-powered cruise missile tested last fall has a “practically unlimited” range and high speed and maneuverability allowing it to pierce any missile defence.
The Russian leader said the high-speed underwater drone also has an “intercontinental” range and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could target both aircraft carriers and coastal facilities. He said its “very big” operational depth and a speed that is at least 10 times higher than any other vessel would make it immune to enemy intercept. Putin accompanied his statement to an audience of hundreds of senior officials and lawmakers with videos and computer images of new weapons, which were shown on giant screens at a conference hall near the Kremlin.
A computer video showed the drone being launched by a submarine, cruising over the seabed, hitting an aircraft carrier and also exploding near the shore.
Putin noted that the tests of the compact nuclear reactor to power the new drone were completed last fall.
Putin’s statement marked the first time the new systems were officially announced with a high degree of detail, and it wasn’t immediately possible to assess the veracity of it or assess the degree of their readiness.
“You will have to assess that new reality and become convinced that what I was said today isn’t a bluff”, he said”. It’s not a bluff, you trust me”.
He added, to applause, that names for the nuclear-powered cruise missile and the drone haven’t yet been chosen, and suggested that the Defense Ministry run a nationwide contest for the best names. The playful offer evokes the Soviet-era tradition of giving the innocuous names to some of the deadliest weapons systems.
“No one in the world has anything like that”, Putin said. “It may appear someday, but by that time we will develop something new”.
The Russian leader said that another new weapon called Avangard is an intercontinental hypersonic missile that would fly to targets at a speed 20 times the speed of sound and strike “like a meteorite, like a fireball”.
Putin said that the weapon is capable of performing sharp maneuvers on its way to targets, making it “absolutely invulnerable for any missile defense system”.