Real images of nuclear-powered missiles appear
The Russian Ministry of Defense has just released a video inside the factory producing Burevestnik missiles - a cruise missile line equipped with nuclear engines.
According to the released images, Russian engineers are testing Burevestnik cruise missiles in a large factory. These missiles are painted red, but important details on the body are covered.
Russian engineers say that despite the successful test, the design of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile's frame still needs to be revised. Some parts of the missile are being completed in factories.
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| Burevestnik missile in the factory. |
In his State of the Nation Address in March 2018, President Putin affirmed that Burevestnik has "almost unlimited range" and strong maneuverability to avoid US defense systems to attack from the most unexpected direction.
This is considered an important feature, helping it deceive all defense systems and hit targets from the most unexpected directions. However, some Western military experts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility and stability of the nuclear engine installed in the missile, as well as its level of safety for the environment.
In particular, the Americans also believe that the Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile copied an idea they created during the Cold War, which was Project Pluto.
At the core of Project Pluto was a cruise missile designed around a nuclear-powered ramjet engine, its acronym SLAM (Supersonic Low Altitude Missile).
That meant the giant nuclear-powered monster would fly just above the treetops. The nuclear ramjet engine at the heart of Project Pluto was the key to making this weapon so terrifying.
The design of the engine is very simple, with essentially no moving parts. When the rocket is launched, the air velocity through the duct is fast enough to allow the engine to operate, the nuclear reactor heats the incoming air, where it expands and is discharged from the nozzle, providing both thrust and toxic radioactive material. The nuclear reactor gives the rocket a virtually unlimited range.
However, due to insurmountable technological difficulties such as creating small nuclear engines, materials for nuclear reactors, and not polluting the environment... the US had to terminate the SLAM program.
And this is also the reason why the Pentagon believes that Russia's nuclear-powered Burevestnik may just stop at Moscow's impressive statements.
| Clip Russia releases real image of Burevestnik missile. |
