For decades, Russia has continued to invest in advanced military technologies, and one of the latest achievements in this strategy is the Burevestnik missile, which it will likely test on August 18.
Burevestnik: The World’s First Nuclear-Powered Intercontinental Missile
The Burevestnik is a highly advanced intercontinental stealth cruise missile, which has a virtually unlimited strategic range thanks to its nuclear propulsion system. This Russian missile is part of a series of strategic weapons, which includes other cutting-edge weapons systems such as
- the Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missile,
- the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle,
- the Zirkon anti-ship hypersonic missile, and
- the Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedo.
So far, the West has no defensive shields or interceptors for these weapons systems, not even at the development level. All five of the aforementioned Russian weapons systems have been developed in response to external factors, while internal factors determined which Soviet-era research and engineering initiatives shaped subsequent military innovation.
The nuclear-powered Burevestnik is classified as a first-strike nuclear weapon, giving it a profound strategic capability and a signal to Russia’s adversaries that strategic surprise and the destruction of early warning systems is a key aspect of its posture as a military superpower, capable of developing and deploying technologies that others cannot.
So far, Western think tanks and military analysts point to historical data of failed tests of the missile in question, as they consider that nuclear propulsion is not feasible in a cruise missile casing that also includes reliable control and auxiliary systems for a possible multi-day flight. However, we recall that the same doubts were expressed about Russia’s hypersonic weapons systems, which were ultimately proven to be fully operational.
But let’s take a closer look at the 9M730 Burevestnik (Seabird) “super-missile,” with the NATO reporting name SSC-X-9 Skyfall.
The Burevestnik is a subsonic cruise missile, meaning it is less vulnerable to missile defense systems. Ballistic missiles are rocket-powered. They follow predictable, arcing flight paths until they run out of fuel and crash into their intended target. Cruise missiles remain powered throughout their flight, making them agile and their flight paths unpredictable. They can fly low above the ground to evade ground-based radar systems, and they can be guided using satellites or infrared detectors. Cruise missiles are not new. Germany developed the world’s first cruise missile in 1944.
The Burevestnik will carry a nuclear or conventional warhead. It is worth recalling that most states that have nuclear weapons in their arsenals have developed such cruise missiles. The Burevestnik differs in that it is nuclear-powered. This is the missile’s distinguishing feature, since no state has ever used a missile with an integrated nuclear power unit. Such a system offers the advantages of a cruise missile, namely maneuverability, low altitude and low probability of interception, and adds an intercontinental capability. Conventionally fueled cruise missiles, such as the American Tomahawk, have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers. The Burevestnik’s range is almost unlimited. It could fly for days, attack from unexpected directions, evade missile defenses, and remain undetected, in theory.
While only limited information is available about this weapon system, we speculate that the Burevestnik has a booster engine that lifts it into the air and propels the missile to flight speed. A tiny nuclear reactor is then activated, powering an electric motor that drives a compressor and turbine. This compresses air and forces it out of the missile for subsonic propulsion. The nuclear reactor allows the missile to reach any target on the planet and maneuver to avoid missile defense systems in its path. It is designed to be transported by TEL (Transporter Erector Launcher) ground vehicles with an 8X8 configuration, it is possible that the missile can also be launched from warships.
It is noted that the miniaturization of a nuclear reactor to a size that can be placed in a cruise missile is no small feat. The reactor fuel (monolithic blocks of uranium oxide) must be arranged so that there is an optimal neutron flux in the core. For a cruise missile operating at an altitude of 50-100 meters and following the terrain at high speed, there are many inertial forces affecting the reactor. It must be designed to handle these inertial forces without a significant change in the neutron flux in the reactor or to deal with them in such a way that the reactor naturally returns to its normal state.
As a result of its unparalleled characteristics, the stealth Burevestnik is impossible to detect by current ground-based anti-missile systems, as it is capable of bypassing air defense systems with ease, approaching targets from a completely unexpected angle. The US would have to develop space-based detection and information transmission systems for such missiles and fundamentally modernize the entire air defense system of North America and, most likely, of NATO members that would be at risk from such a weapon system. These are colossal expenses, and it is understandable that these expenses significantly exceed the investments required for the development of the Burevestnik missiles by Russia.
Conclusions
The Burevestnik missile, like other advanced weapons systems, was designed to ensure that Russia has an assured retaliatory capability against the US and NATO. The new weapons provide multiple options for nuclear escalation in wartime and incorporate a diplomatic vehicle for coercion in peacetime. Consequently, the new systems provide Moscow with an increased range of options on the escalation scale in any crisis, even in armed conflicts. In addition to these more exotic systems, Russia is completing a cycle of modernization of its entire nuclear arsenal. Combined, the modernized and exotic systems facilitate the pursuit of civilian or military objectives, while deterring a belligerent response from the US and NATO.
Advanced weapons systems (Burevestnik, Kinzhal, Avangard, Zirkon, Poseidon) can also be used for nuclear signaling in a crisis. With its nearly inexhaustible power source, the nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed Burevestnik would have the ability to hover over and around targets in Western Europe or the United States. The Poseidon underwater drone could be on standby in or near a major U.S. or allied port. Once detected or announced by Russia, these systems could provide a tangible and immediate reminder of the risks of escalation.
They could also blur the lines between crisis and war, as the U.S. and its allies would debate whether attacking a roaming system would constitute an act of war. Moreover, since several of these systems are dual-capable (conventional or nuclear), their deployment even in conventional conflicts could contribute to uncertainty and perceptions of the risks of nuclear escalation.
Russia could also use these new systems as a means of geopolitical posturing. Analysts believe this may be the most important geopolitical motivation for these systems, as it ensures that Russia is a major power on the world stage.
