“Russia's terrifying arsenal is just an exaggeration”
That is the affirmation of Mr. Richard Aboulafia - Deputy Director of Research at Teal Group, an aerospace and defense consulting agency in the US.
In the Federal Message read by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 1, he mentioned a series of "unique" high-tech weapons, possessing features enough to "penetrate any enemy defense system".
In addition to previously announced types such as the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile or the Status 6 nuclear torpedo, the weapon that has attracted the most attention is the unnamed nuclear-powered cruise missile.
If the Russian vehicle becomes a reality, it will have unlimited range, carry a huge warhead and fly very fast, making it extremely difficult to intercept. This will be one of Russia's "game-changing" weapons.
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| Illustration of Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile |
Besides the comments that Russia's new weapon is essentially just a copy of the SLAM missile idea of Project Pluto that the US deployed in the 1950s - 1960s, there are other opinions that doubt its authenticity.
An unnamed US intelligence officer said the US has secretly observed and tracked the results of a series of tests of a Russian nuclear-capable cruise missile. He confirmed that all the tests have failed.
It should be noted that this is only a missile using a conventional engine, it will be much more difficult with a missile equipped with a nuclear engine.
Not stopping there, Mr. Richard Aboulafia - Deputy Director of Research at Teal Group, an aerospace and defense consulting agency, USA, said even more strongly:
"No one knows how much truth there is in it, Russia's high-tech weapons are just an exaggeration with the purpose of solving internal problems and increasing strength in the election on March 18."
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| Illustration of the operating mechanism of the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile |
Not only nuclear-powered cruise missiles but also Russia's new-generation RS-28 intercontinental ballistic missile is being questioned by American experts. It should be remembered that most of Russia's submarine-launched Bulava missile tests have failed, showing that the Russians are trying to regain the old Soviet glory.
After expressing "sarcasm" with Russia's new weapons, the Americans did not forget to show off their power. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders confidently said that "America's defense system is not second to anyone" and they are capable of dealing with all threats that have appeared and will appear in the future.
