In a speech yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened the United States with a new generation of nuclear weapons. Putin showed video animations of nuclear warheads raining down on Florida from a new design of an intercontinental cruise missile that he described as “invincible.” Perhaps even more disturbing was the presentation of a “doomsday” torpedo designed to create a 500-meter tsunami that could contaminate a large section of coastline with radiation, making the area unlivable for up to a century.
The new weapon, called Status-6 by the Russians and dubbed Kanyon by the CIA, is described as an unmanned nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed underwater vehicle able to deliver a thermonuclear cobalt bomb of up to 100 megatonnes. It is said to have a top speed of 100 km/h (54 kn), with a range of 10,000 km (5,400 NM.) Russian Oscar Class submarines are said to be capable of carrying up to four of the torpedoes secured externally.
The Status-6 was first revealed on Russian television when a program showed images of President Vladimir Putin visiting naval commanders in Sochi, with one shot showing an officer looking at what appeared to be plans for a Status-6 torpedo.
Last month, the Pentagon included the Status-6 in its Nuclear Posture Review, suggesting that it is taking the development of the weapon seriously. Some experts doubt the weapon is being developed while others claim that it is already being tested in the Arctic.
If the Status-6 is operational, the US Navy may not currently have any way to counter the threat.
Did the Kremlin consider the ocean currents that will bring nuclear fallout back to their own shores?
Peter Wright shares my initial reaction. My other reaction is the motivation for saying such a thing. I was taught when a lion roars, look for the crouching lion. I also remember failures of Soviet technology in the past. They never successfully landed on the moon. Their conventional Naval arsenal in Europe blew up with such a bang, it was discovered by our Earthquake equipment. Their Mig 23 had fuel programs. Their aircraft carriers couldn’t go to sea without tugboats. They finally came up with a jump carrier the size of a cruiser. My closet friend in DC says their agents used to spend the beginning of each month trying to steal our latest patents. And the list goes on. I wouldn’t ignore the threat, but I can’t escape the idea of roaring lion and crouching lion.
We don’t have a way to counter the threat of Russia’s *regular* nuclear weapons, so there’s nothing new here.
And I’m pretty sure the ~4000 nuclear warheads they have at the moment would make the United States unlivable as well.
Like my friend said, “its election season in Russia”.
From BBC:
Article & video
Putin’s nuclear slideshow
echoes Cold War
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43256488
What cheery news. So Ok, I guess this could be termed the female perspective but how about having the lion (crouching, running, or whatever) sit down with the lamb. The nations of the world have to learn to get along together because there is no Plan B if someone drops or shoots off the big one. OF course we have so screwed up a lot of the world anyway, so what is another mass annihilation? I am reminded of a bumper sticker (anything but PC) which says: “Nuke a gay whale for Christ.”
Folks, for the sake of all of us, and for our descendants please work for peace, otherwise only the rats and the cockroaches will survive.
In revelations of the bible. Even tho man shall hide in caves will not save him from judgement day. Tho after judgement day man will return to earth with out want and the earth will have been reborn.
All we need to do now is survive judgement day.