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Russian new superweapon ("Skyfall-missile")
The background of the nuclear-powered cruise missiles
Intelligence service has predicted that the Russian new superweapon is a nuclear-powered cruise missile, called "Skyfall" (9M730 Burevestnik, NATO SSC-X-9 "Skyfall" ) (1), which uses the nuclear reactor-based ramjet engine. In this case, the gas would be expanded in the combustion chamber by using the nuclear reactor, which gives this system very long endurance, and the nuclear reactor causes terrifying pollution. When we are thinking about this kind of technology, we must realize those modern nuclear reactors are not very big.
The idea might be that the reactor uses very high enriched plutonium as the fissile fuel and the enrichment to the weapon level makes it possible to create a small-size nuclear engine, which would use the ram-air as the cooler. The wings of that cruise missile would also contain the tubes of the cooling system, which helps to keep the temperature low enough.
The idea of the nuclear-powered missile is not new
And, if the nuclear reactor would use the highly enriched plutonium or some heavier element like neptunium, that system can also explode like the bomb, if the need to use that kind of weapon would come to the front of our eyes. The similar systems have been created by the USAF, and one of the most well-known ideas to create the "doomsday missile" was "Project Pluto" (2). The Russian cruise missile might be the same style of the project.
Is "Skyfall" "only" modified SS-N-19 "Shipwreck"-missile (3), which uses the nuclear reactor?
The diagrams show that the missile is quite small, but the fact is that the missile should have a big size because the reactors are needed the cooling and radioactive protection. So the missile could be installed in the submarine in the box, what is the size of "Shipwreck" or it must have golden radioactive protection layer, and if it is planned to carry also in bombers that means that there is the danger that plutonium would pollute large areas if the missile carrier would be dropped (4).
So the bombers would be equipment by this kind of missiles only in the last time before the weapons would be used. And that means that the missile is probably rather carried in the submarines. But this is the speculation. Russians have not told, where they want to carry their weapons.
The primary carry platform could be naval vehicles.
There have been some technical problems with that system, and a couple of members of the personnel, who were worked with this project have died in the tests, where the radioactive material has been released to the atmosphere. The place, where that accident has happened is a city near Arkangel, where are many nuclear installations. So this thing tells something about the plans, where that missile is planned to keep.
The missile might be a similar size, what SS-N-19 "Shipwreck" has, and that tells something about the enrichment level of the reactor fuel. So if this is the reason, why the Oscar II class submarine got more size, the thing is that this might be a very long- term project. And there might be very big technical problems with the storage of nuclear fuel in the missiles.
Was Oscar II specially designed to carry "Skyfall" missiles?
The launching platforms have been possibly planned to be the nuclear submarines or battlecruisers, which are normally carrying the SS-N-19 "Shipwreck" cruise missiles. That means that the weapon was designed to operate with "Oscar II" (5) (or newer) class submarines, and that would explain the mystical enlargement of the Oscar II. The submarine would need more effective radiation protection if it is wanted to keep safe in the case, that there is carried the extra number of nuclear reactors in the missile hatches, and that means that Oscar II might be specially designed for carrying that kind of missiles.
(1)
"Skyfall"-missile
(2)
"Project Pluto"
(3)
SS-N-19 "Shipwreck"
(4)
Russian super weapons article
(5)
Oscar class submarine
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