How Russia's nuclear-powered 'Skyfall' missile works
a day ago
- A Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile, Burevestnik (NATO: Skyfall), reportedly flew in October 2023, marking the first nuclear-powered aircraft flight according to MIT researchers.
- The missile uses a direct-cycle air-breathing nuclear propulsion system that spews radioactive exhaust, posing extreme risks to people near test sites.
- Unlike Cold War-era projects, this subsonic missile is inefficient as a weapon due to high cost, environmental danger, and vulnerability to interception.
- An accident in 2019 involving a Burevestnik prototype reactor likely caused a fatal explosion and radiation spike.
- Experts question the missile's military value, suggesting it may be a political project or a step toward nuclear-powered drones or space systems.