Putin Reveals New Russian Nuclear Missile Defense

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday the creation of a nuclear powered cruise missile that guarantees an unlimited range and high speed and is capable of penetrating any missile defense.

Speaking at the annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly, Putin was quoted as saying by TASS: "Russia has created a small-size super-powerful power plant that can be placed inside the hull of a cruise missile and guarantee a range of flight ten times greater than that of other missiles."

Demonstrating a video modelling the flight of a nuclear power plant-equipped cruise missile circumventing missile defences, Putin further said: "A low-flying low-visibility cruise missile armed with a nuclear warhead and possessing a practically unlimited range, unpredictable flight path and the capability to impregnate practically all interception lines is invulnerable to all existing and future missile and air defenses".

Putin said that Russia also tested a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, called Sarmat, with a range and number of warheads exceeding its predecessor.

He also said Russia is developing new underwater drones that can carry nuclear warheads. These were described as un-manned, noiseless submarines that move at ultra-deep levels and at high speed.

"There is no defense system that can cope with such subsurface vehicles that can be equipped with conventional or nuclear weapons, attacking coastal defenses and infrastructure facilities." These underwater drones were 100 times smaller than a conventional submarine, Putin noted.