To: Rarebird who wrote (9723 ) 10/25/2022 10:42:20 PM From: Broken_Clock Respond to Russia's newest weapon is the RS-28 Sarmat "Satan-2" missile, with 10 heavy reentry vehicles, each with enough payload to wipe out an area the size of Texas or France . It also features hypersonic glide vehicles to make it less detectable by U.S. or space-based sensor systems and could be immune to American missile defense systems.military.com Federation of American Scientists estimates that Russia possesses 5,977 nuclear weapons, while the United States has 5,428; Russia and the U.S. each have about 1,600 active deployed strategic nuclear warheads. Russia's stockpile is growing in size, while the United States' is shrinking. [24] Russia has six nuclear missile fields in Kozelsk , Tatishchevo , Uzhur , Dombarovskiy , Kartalay , and Aleysk ; nuclear missile submarines patrolling from three naval bases at Nerpich'ya , Yagel'Naya , and Rybachiy ; and nuclear bombers at Ukrainka and Engels air bases. [25] RS-28 Sarmat [26] (Russian: ??-28 ??????; NATO reporting name : SATAN 2), is a Russian liquid-fueled , MIRV -equipped, super-heavy thermonuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile in development by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau [26] since 2009, [27] intended to replace the previous R-36 missile . Its large payload would allow for up to 10 heavy warheads or 15 lighter ones, [28] or a combination of warheads and massive amounts of countermeasures designed to defeat anti-missile systems . [29] [30] It was heralded by the Russian military as a response to the U.S. Prompt Global Strike . [31] Status-6 Ocean Multipurpose System , [32] [33] [34] codenamed "Kanyon" by Pentagon officials. [35] [36] This weapon is designed to create a tsunami wave up to 500m tall that will radioactively contaminate a wide area on an enemy coasts with cobalt-60 , and to be immune to anti-missile defense systems such as laser weapons and railguns that might disable an ICBM . [33] [34] [36] [37] [38] Two potential carrier submarines, the Project 09852 Belgorod , and the Project 09851 Khabarovsk , are new boats laid down in 2012 and 2014 respectively. [35] [36] [39] [38] [39] It appears to be a torpedo-shaped robotic mini-submarine, that can travel at speeds of 185 km/h (100 kn). [38] [39] [40] More recent information suggests a top speed of 100 km/h (54 kn), with a range of 10,000 km (6,200 mi) and a depth maximum of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). [41] This underwater drone is cloaked by stealth technology to elude acoustic tracking devices. [33] [39] Vladimir Putin publicly claimed that Russia was now in possession of several new classes of nuclear weapons, including some with capabilities previously speculated to exist. Putin discussed several new or upgraded weapons, including a hypersonic glide vehicle known as the Avangard , capable of performing sharp maneuvers while traveling at 20 times the speed of sound making it "absolutely invulnerable for any missile defense system." [42] cruise missile ( 9M730 Burevestnik ), both with effectively unlimited range. He discussed that Russia had tested a new class of traditional ICBM called the Sarmat, which expanded upon the range and carrying capability of the Soviet-era Satan ICBM. Animations of these weapons were shown in front of the live and televised audience. Putin suggested that an online poll be conducted to give them official public names. [43] Military doctrine of Russia Russian military doctrine stated in 2010, nuclear weapons could be used by Russia "in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies, and also in case of aggression against Russia with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened". [44] [45] [46] Most military analysts believe that, in this case, Russia would pursue an 'escalate to de-escalate' strategy, initiating limited nuclear exchange to bring adversaries to the negotiating table. Russia will also threaten nuclear conflict to discourage initial escalation of any major conventional conflict. [47]
