Putin reveals details about Burevestnik missile’s nuclear engine
Russia’s unlimited-range Burevestik cruise missile is based on breakthroughs in nuclear reactor technology that allow a high degree of miniaturization and quick attainment of operational power, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. A landmark test of the nuclear-capable weapon was announced last week.
The president praised the engineers behind the achievement during a meeting with injured Russian soldiers at a military hospital.
The missile’s reactor “is comparable in output with a reactor of a nuclear-propelled submarine, but it’s 1,000 times smaller,” Putin said. “But the key thing is that where a regular reactor needs hours, days or weeks to go online, this one launches in minutes or seconds.”
The discoveries made during the creation of the unique power plant will find applications in civilian life, for example in building energy infrastructure in the Arctic, the president said. Meanwhile, the electronic components shielded from radiation that were developed for the Burevestik are already being used in space missions and will be utilized in Russia’s Moon exploration program.
Last week, Putin announced a successful test launch of the Burevestnik, during which the projectile reportedly traveled more than 14,000km. During a meeting this week, he reported a successful trial of the Poseidon system, an advanced nuclear torpedo that is understood to use the same technology as the Burevestnik for propulsion.
“For the first time, we succeeded not only in launching it from a submarine using its booster engine, but also in starting its nuclear power unit, which provided energy to the vehicle for a certain period of time. This is a tremendous success,” Putin said.
He added that the Poseidon’s reactor is miniaturized to a lesser degree than the Burevestnik’s, being roughly 100 times smaller than a regular submarine reactor.
Russia has not released details about the technology behind the two reactors. Some defense experts suggested that it derives from Russian nuclear submarine research.
