Russia’s successful launch of a nuclear-powered cruise missile may spur nuclear air propulsion research, a long-abandoned Cold War-era projectRussian President Vladimir Putin has just announced the successful test of a new Russian nuclear-capable and nuclear-powered cruise missile, Burevestnik, that is supposed to have limitless range and can evade any known air defence system. If true, it would not only mean that Russia has developed a new class of missile but also achieved some degree of mastery over nuclear air propulsion. The latter, hitherto, has mostly been a notional concept with some early-stage experimental models making little headway. Here’s the lowdown on what Russia’s new missile means, both for the arms industry and other scientific and civilian applications:
What is the Burevestnik?
The missile’s development doesn’t come out of the blue. Putin himself revealed the project back in March 2018. Nato had code-named the missile Skyfall. While exact technical details remain under wraps, the missile is said to have a miniaturised nuclear reactor propelling it by heating and thrusting out air. The missile would initially be sent aloft by a small solid-fuel rocket to drive air into the nuclear engine. According to Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the test launch on Oct 21 saw the missile remain in air for 15 hours, covering a distance of 14,000km. Theoretically, the missile can be launched from any part of Russia, reach any corner of the world, and loiter in the air for as long as necessary.
Is it an undetectable ghost missile?
Burevestnik’s air defence evasion capabilities are said to be due to its ability to fly 50 to 100 metres above ground, making it difficult to intercept. But Russia has been making such claims about its missiles throughout the Russia-Ukraine war. Last year, it unveiled the inter mediaterange ballistic missile, Oreshnik, that had similar evasive capabilities. Not much has been heard about it since then apart from reports that it is being deployed in Belarus. Similarly, earlier in the war in 2023, Ukraine used American-supplied Patriot air defence system to shoot down the Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile that was touted as unstoppable. Therefore, the jury is out on Burevestnik’s invincibility.
What’s its development history?
Burevestnik’s had multiple hiccups in its development. There have been numerous flight-test failures — of 13 known tests, only two had partial success since 2016. In 2019, five Russian nuclear specialists were killed in an explosion and radiation leak linked to a Burevestnik test. However, Putin did announce a successful test of the missile in Oct 2023.
What’s the strategic value?
If Burevestnik is deployed with Russian troops, it would certainly be a novel system. But there are issues. Many experts believe that the missile could disgorge radiation along its flight path, creating a whole new set of problems. Plus, Russia already has conventional ICBMs that can reach most parts of the world. Burevestnik doesn’t really add anything extra. A Russian military expert in 2019 had said Burevestnik is designed to eliminate the remnants of enemy command posts and military bases after Russia had overwhelmed the opposition with ICBMs. But such total annihilation is way beyond the red lines that even Russia’s allies like China have set.Most likely, with Burevestnik Russia is signalling to US that the two countries should work together on issues like extending the New START treaty, the last remaining arms control accord between Moscow and Washington, which expires in Feb.
What about N-propulsion tech?
This is where Burevestnik’s innovative breakthrough may actually lie. Nuclear air propulsion has been the holy grail since the Cold War with both US and Soviet Union pursuing this goal. However, unsolvable challenges cropped up at the experimentation stage, such as the need for heavy radiation shielding, safety concerns associated with crashes and radiation leaks, and technical engineering issues with integrating the miniature reactor with the airframe.That’s why no nuclear-powered aircraft was ever built, and the projects were abandoned in the 1960s. ICBMs and nuclear submarines also obviated the need.
What about space flights?
That’s where nuclear propulsion could be a gamechanger. Nasa and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced in Jan 2023 that they would collaborate to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space by 2027 to enable Nasa crewed missions to Mars. Nuclear thermal rockets would allow for faster transit times, reducing risks for astronauts, and theoretically enable deeper forays into space. It remains to be seen if Russia’s Burevestnik further spurs nuclear propulsion development.
