The new development should ensure inevitable retaliation in the event of an attack on Russia
Analysts at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) this week reported on Russia's preparations for the deployment of cruise missiles with the Burevestnik nuclear power plant. It is considered one of the most closed Russian developments. Whether the reports about the "Doomsday rocket" can be true and what is the general history of the issue of creating aircraft with nuclear engines, Izvestia investigated.
How likely is the rapid deployment of the Petrel
American researchers claim that Russia is preparing to deploy a cruise missile with a nuclear power plant "Burevestnik", which was first described on March 1, 2018 in his message to the Federal Assembly by Russian President Vladimir Putin. As evidence, analysts of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) cite changes in satellite images of the closed arsenal of the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUMO) of Russia near the settlement of Vologda-20. Indeed, one of the storages of the 12th GUMO is located here, next to which construction is underway, visible from space. This construction site was linked overseas with possible preparations for the deployment of a launch base for future strategic cruise missiles with unlimited range. The logic of the researchers here is simple — nuclear missiles, they must have nuclear warheads, the subject is secret, and where else to place such missiles, except not in the department of the 12th GUMO.
Satellite image of the alleged location of a Russian cruise missile with a nuclear installation
Image source: Photo: REUTERS/Planet Labs PBC
The researchers' conclusions were also picked up by the Western media. They are already talking about the construction of a missile launch site with nuclear power plants in the center of the European part of Russia. Could this be true? Theoretically, this is possible, although, for example, in the regions of the Far North, such an infrastructure facility would most likely be safer. After all, working with nuclear materials can be very dangerous.
Tests of the Burevestnik cruise missile
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
In addition, there is still no clear and precise information about the completion of the creation of this combat system. After the first demonstration on March 1, 2018, the Burevestnik rocket received the designation SSC-X-9 Skyfall in the West. The Russian index of this missile is also called "9M730", which actually does not correspond to reality. Work on the rocket, apparently, has indeed been carried out in recent years at the test site on Novaya Zemlya, at Nenoks near Severodvinsk, and at the rocket test site in Kapustin Yar. But it seems that the completion of the tests and deployment of the Petrel is still far away.
What is such a product?
This is an aircraft with folding wings, which is similar in its aerodynamic design to other cruise missiles. It starts from a ground-based launcher on a solid-fuel accelerator, accelerates to the required speed, at which it turns on a marching air-jet engine with a nuclear power plant. In such an engine, atmospheric air is heated to exhaust temperature by a heat exchanger of a small but powerful nuclear reactor. At least, this should be the case in theory — it is clear that no one publicly reports the details of top-secret weapons. With the condition that the reactor can work for weeks, such a rocket can stay in the air for a very long time. In part of the sources, a range of 22,000 km was named, but most likely, the range is really conditionally unlimited. Accordingly, when used, such missiles can go to the area of combat duty and waiting and from there they can go to the received targets in case of receiving an order. The Doomsday missile, which provides inevitable retaliation in the event of an attack on Russia. It is in this capacity that this weapons system is being created.
Such missiles could strike anywhere in the world from any direction. They could bypass air defense systems and, while providing satellite communications, receive new information about possible obstacles and targets. Of course, a rocket with a nuclear reactor on board should not fall and crash, but there is probably a special procedure for stopping the flight with a safe descent to earth, for example, using a parachute system to special return areas. The modern level of technology development makes it possible to achieve a high degree of reliability and safety of such products.
Tests of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The creation of such a rocket in our country became possible after the success of nuclear physicists in the development of compact and powerful nuclear reactors. These discoveries gave rise to several developments — the Burevestnik rocket, the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle and, probably, other energy-intensive projects.
Unmanned underwater vehicle "Poseidon"
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Attempts to create aircraft with nuclear power plants were conducted in the 1950s and 1960s in the United States and the Soviet Union. At that time, the opportunity to create a carrier aircraft with unlimited time in the air and overseas was very attractive, and we conducted research on the creation of nuclear long-range bombers based on the B—36 and Tu-95. But by the early 1960s, these works were curtailed both because of the extremely high cost and because of the inability to ensure the nuclear safety of aircraft. And not only in case of a flight accident, but also in order to protect pilots from the effects of a nuclear reactor. It turned out to be significantly more efficient to build conventional heavy bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and both countries postponed indefinitely the development of aircraft with nuclear reactors.
Of course, the deployment of such missile systems in Russia will affect the overall balance of strategic nuclear forces. Apparently, creating such a missile with non—nuclear combat equipment is completely ineffective — it will carry a powerful thermonuclear warhead and its main purpose is a retaliatory nuclear strike. Probably, the appearance of the Petrel will cause some kind of response in the West - maybe they will develop detection and air defense systems there, or maybe they will start preparing some kind of symmetrical response. In any case, when the parties enter into negotiations on nuclear safety and reducing the threat of war, this factor — the latest retaliatory strike systems — can no longer be ignored. He will have to be reckoned with, and this gives us extra points.
Dmitry Kornev
