Russia proved it had played a checkmate move against the United States, and against all its rivals, by activating the powerful and invisible nuclear missile Burevestnik.
The so-called “flying Chernobyl” of the Russians not only changes the balance of power at the global level (including Ukraine)... but also throws into the trash can the most ambitious defense project of the Trump presidency.
We are talking about the air-defense system Golden Dome, which will by no means be able to cope with the capabilities of the Russian super-missile, both because of its range and the stealth technologies that Burevestnik possesses.
Bombshell NYT: Burevestnik shreds Trump’s Golden Dome
The new Russian missile Burevestnik will be capable of evading the most modern American anti-missile defense system, the Golden Dome, whose deployment Trump recently announced with pride, notes the American press.
According to the New York Times, the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin about preparations to deploy a new nuclear-powered missile was “a clear message to the West after the collapse of a scheduled meeting with Trump.”
The newspaper cites Jeffrey Lewis, an expert on nuclear non-proliferation at Middlebury College, who called Burevestnik “a small flying Chernobyl” and stated bluntly that the acquisition of such weapons by Russia is “a bad development” for the United States.
“This is yet another science-fiction weapon that will be destabilizing and difficult to deal with within the framework of arms control,” said the American expert.
It is invulnerable! First it makes... a circuit of the planet and then furiously strikes its target
According to Military Watch Magazine, the cruise missile 9M730 Burevestnik is capable of “lurking in the sky for years” and then suddenly striking where it is least expected.
Theoretically, it can circle the planet thousands of times before striking its target.
The range of the missile is unlimited, making it essentially invulnerable to all existing and future anti-missile and air-defense systems.
Russian message on the START treaty
Additionally, some experts believe that the tests of Burevestnik should be seen not so much in the context of the crisis in Ukraine, but in the context of Moscow’s proposal to extend the New START treaty, the last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, which expires in the early part of next year.
The author of the article in the American newspaper estimates that extending the treaty for at least one year, among other things, would help the Kremlin fully focus its resources on the armed conflict in Ukraine, avoiding an expensive accumulation of strategic weapons.
What the Trump Golden Dome is and how it works
Details about the strategic program Golden Dome of the United States Armed Forces, which aims to develop an integrated anti-missile shield for the continental territory of the United States, were long ago revealed by Lieutenant General Michael A. Guetlein, Deputy Chief of Operations of the Space Force.
Speaking about the reasons that necessitate this investment, Guetlein warned:
“Our adversaries have acquired high capabilities and show clear intent to directly threaten the American homeland.
They have modernized their nuclear arsenals, are deploying ballistic missiles capable of carrying multiple warheads, hypersonic missiles that can strike the United States within one hour traveling at 6,000 miles per hour, cruise missiles capable of evading our radars and defenses, submarines approaching our coasts, and — worst of all — space weapons.”
The Golden Dome, as he explained, will integrate satellite and other space systems with ground and sea radars, anti-aircraft missile launchers and electronic weapons, so as to cover a wide range of potential threats.
Trump: “The Golden Dome is a matter of survival”
President Donald Trump, speaking on May 20, emphasized the importance of the program:
“It is something extraordinarily important for the success, even the survival of our country. The world is full of evil, and this system gives us a means of survival.”
Trump stressed that the system will be integrated with the existing defensive capabilities of the United States and will be fully operational before the end of his term, adding:
“The Golden Dome will be able to intercept missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world or from space. It will be a state-of-the-art system, with next-generation technologies on land, sea and space — including space sensors and interceptors.”
Concluding, he said:
“With this effort, we complete the work started by President Reagan 40 years ago, putting a definitive end to the missile threat against America.”
The reference concerned the Strategic Defense Initiative of 1983, a Cold War–era program that cost the Pentagon billions of dollars, but never managed to implement a realistic defense against a massive missile attack.
That program had been estimated at 69.1 to 145.7 billion dollars (today 210 to 443 billion dollars after inflation adjustment).
High cost, doubtful implementation
The Golden Dome aims to address threats such as hypersonic weapons, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine of the U.S. Air Force, these are threats that the existing defenses of the United States “do not adequately cover, are fragmented or are not advanced enough to neutralize.”
Although Trump claims the system will be ready “in less than three years,” the feasibility of implementing that timetable is highly doubtful — as is whether Congress will approve the funding.
At the same time, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the program’s cost could reach $831 billion over the next two decades.
The Chief of Space Operations, General B. Chance Saltzman, gave a more restrained estimate: over $500 billion.
There is a serious likelihood that even if funded, the Golden Dome will end up with massive cost overruns and will not provide the comprehensive defense it promises.
The real (and extremely deadly) risk of a missile attack against the United States
Today’s missile defenses of continental America are considered inadequate to prevent an attack from any of Washington’s three main nuclear adversaries — China, Russia and North Korea — all of which possess intercontinental arsenals.
All three have developed hypersonic gliders that carry nuclear warheads, making them almost impossible to intercept.
Only North Korea has not yet integrated these gliders into missiles that can strike the United States, but the other two have fully operational systems.
The implementation of the Golden Dome, if it becomes possible, would radically transform the limited anti-missile capability of the United States, particularly in the area of ballistic threats.
However, the vast size of American territory, the volume of hostile nuclear arsenals and the technological complexity of intercepting hypersonic glide vehicles raise serious questions about the viability of the program.
Russia’s secret weapon
As for the Burevestnik, it is the secret weapon that Russian President Vladimir Putin had recently spoken about, who nevertheless noted that there is still considerable work before the missile is placed into operational readiness, although he stated that the main actions have been completed.
In March 2018, in his address to the Federal Assembly, Vladimir Putin said that Russia had developed a compact nuclear power generator that could be used in a cruise missile, thanks to which it would acquire almost unlimited range.
As the president noted, the missile will fly low, be hard to detect, have an unpredictable flight trajectory and will carry a nuclear warhead.
The development of the missile began after the United States withdrew in December 2001 from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty of 1972.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stressed that the creation of new strategic weapons systems aims to strengthen defensive capability and to deter any aggression against Russia and its allies.
The Pentagon admitted that the Burevestnik missile is capable of enabling strikes from practically any axis “thanks to its exceptional range and autonomy.”
China: Burevestnik will change the strategic balance in the world
In China they say that the Burevestnik missile will change the strategic balance in the world.
The Chinese magazine Sohu reported that the Burevestnik can change the strategic balance in the world.
According to the author of the article, the particular Russian missile is capable of bypassing any missile air-defense systems and its speed will leave no reaction time for opponents.
“The Burevestnik will undoubtedly destroy the existing strategic balance and will become a serious deterrent factor for the United States and NATO,” the report claims, stating that the disclosure of details about the new missiles makes the West “tremble with fear,” since there are no effective means to intercept the Burevestnik.
The columnist emphasizes that the Russian missile will hang over Western countries like the sword of Damocles.
A weapon of revenge
The Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov, for his part, had earlier expressed the view that the Burevestnik is not a first-strike weapon and can be used after a nuclear attack.
Leonkov said that the Burevestnik was presented for the first time in 2018, and its tests after seven years indicate that the missile will enter serial production.
According to the military expert, the weapon belongs to the nuclear triad but has its own particularity.
“This is a weapon of revenge, that is, not a first strike, but a missile used when an exchange of nuclear strikes has already taken place.
The main objective of the Burevestnik is to destroy the remaining political and military infrastructure of the adversary,” stresses Leonkov, pointing out that the missile has unlimited range of application and can bypass the remaining nodes of the opponent’s anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense systems.
Revolutionary weapon, say the Americans
Former U.S. Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik described the Burevestnik as a revolutionary weapon.
Krapivnik said that the Burevestnik is capable of hindering the operation of the Golden Dome air-defense system in the United States, as well as of increasing the costs for implementing the project.
In his view, this is due to the Burevestnik’s ability to bypass the United States’ defensive networks.
For this reason, the United States will be forced to cover the entire country with the Golden Dome.
“With the appearance of the Burevestnik missile exactly that will need to be done, which will greatly complicate the project and increase the cost,” noted the American expert.
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