Modeling the Performance of the Burevestnik Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile
10 hours ago
- #Military Technology
- #Russia
- #Nuclear Weapons
- Russia successfully conducted a test flight of the Burevestnik (Skyfall) missile, marking the first-ever flight of a nuclear-powered aircraft.
- MIT researchers analyzed the missile, concluding it likely uses a direct-cycle nuclear propulsion system that spews radiation into the environment, posing significant risks.
- The weapon's development harks back to Cold War-era projects like the U.S. Project Pluto, but its current design is novel and dangerous.
- Safety concerns are high due to potential radioactive exhaust and past accidents, including a 2019 incident believed to involve recovering a Burevestnik reactor.
- Despite claims of unlimited range, the missile is slow and considered vulnerable to interception, raising doubts about its military utility.