"New Weapon of Putin" Will Render the U.S. Most Advanced Missile Defense Systems — "THAAD" and "Aegis" Useless

If Russia masters variable-thrust missile technology, the global strategic power balance will be completely reshaped.

(Image caption: Russian Strategic Rocket Forces troops firing an intercontinental ballistic missile.)

Russia may have prepared to deploy strategic and tactical missiles, making existing missile defense systems difficult to detect and intercept such missiles.

On October 10, 2025, President Vladimir Putin attended the CIS (CIS) leaders' summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and ended his visit to the country, then mentioned this "new weapon" during a press conference.

The Eurasia Times informed its readers that President Putin did not specify the exact attributes of this new weapon, but stated that the system is "smoothly undergoing testing."

Putin made this statement in the context of proposing that the United States extend the New START Treaty's (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) validity. The treaty limits the number of strategic offensive weapons of the United States and Russia, and will expire on February 5, 2026.

Putin said that if Washington has "good intentions," he is optimistic about the extension of the treaty. However, he also emphasized that regardless of whether the treaty is extended, Russia can ensure its own security, thanks to the "novelty" and continuous upgrading of its nuclear deterrent forces.

He emphasized that the development of this new weapon system has entered the final stage. In the context of the upcoming expiration of the New START Treaty and the ongoing global arms race, Russia continues to develop and test new nuclear weapons to strengthen its strategic deterrence.

This August, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also hinted that, in addition to the "Kinzhal" missile, Russia has other advanced weapons.

Ryabkov said, "The 'Kinzhal' missile does exist, but we have other equipment, and we have never wasted time. I cannot disclose information that is not authorized, but these equipment do exist."

On October 11, TASS cited the comments of military analyst Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the magazine "National Defense," stating that this new weapon might be based on breakthroughs in solid-fuel technology.

Korotchenko speculated, "I think this may be related to Russia's recent research in solid-fuel missile technology, which will be used to develop advanced missile systems with different ranges — likely mobile missile systems."

If true, understanding the essence of this potential technological breakthrough and its impact on the nuclear deterrence framework is of crucial importance.

Missiles with solid-fuel engines can be stored and transported in a high state of readiness, which is a core advantage over liquid-fuel missiles (which require separate storage of fuel and oxidizer). However, solid-fuel missiles have limited range adjustment capabilities because their engines cannot adjust thrust, shut down, or restart, thus making it impossible to flexibly adjust flight speed and range.

Once ignited, solid-fuel missiles continue burning until the fuel is exhausted. Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, can adjust the amount of fuel supply or start and stop the engine to flexibly adjust the flight range, even re-targeting during flight.

Because the thrust of solid-fuel missiles is fixed, one way to adjust the range is to change the flight trajectory.

If the target is shorter than the missile's optimal range, a high-trajectory flight mode must be used. However, this trajectory increases heating when the warhead re-enters the atmosphere and reduces strike accuracy.

More importantly, the trajectory of a missile flying on a high trajectory is highly predictable and has a lower terminal speed, making it easier for enemy air defense systems to detect and intercept.

However, there are other ways to change the range of solid-fuel missiles besides adjusting the trajectory curvature.

For example, using a multi-stage rocket design. Multi-stage missiles consist of multiple sub-stages, and the range can be adjusted by selectively igniting or separating the sub-stages.

But this method only allows for rough range adjustment. To achieve more precise adjustment, a small liquid-fuel engine with precision propulsion can be equipped. However, combining multi-stage solid-fuel engines with liquid-fuel systems increases technical complexity, often offsetting the inherent advantages of solid-fuel engines.

A variant of the multi-stage structure is a multi-pulse system, where the second stage fuel is ignited after the first stage fuel is burned for a certain period.

Many modern solid-fuel missiles use this technology to strike targets at different distances, but compared to liquid-fuel systems, their flexibility still has significant gaps.

The most promising direction is a variable-thrust solid-fuel engine. Missiles equipped with variable-thrust solid-fuel engines can dynamically adjust the thrust of solid-fuel engines.

By precisely adjusting the thrust, energy control can be optimized, speed errors reduced, and strike accuracy improved. Additionally, it can avoid inefficient engine operation, thereby achieving a longer range or carrying a larger payload.

More importantly, thrust regulation during flight enables the missile to strike targets at any distance within its range.

Variable-thrust solid-fuel missiles will combine the range flexibility of liquid-fuel systems with the inherent advantages of solid-fuel, such as long-term storage, rapid launch readiness, and reliable operational performance in harsh environments.

The thrust of such missile engines can be regulated through various technologies, such as electrically controlled solid propellant (ECSP) and adjustable nozzle throat. These technologies can control the fuel combustion rate in real-time, enabling engine startup and shutdown functions, and adjusting the thrust size.

Specifically, electrically controlled solid propellant does not require a separate ignition device or complex mechanical systems, which is expected to reduce costs and minimize failure risks.

Current generation solid-fuel tactical missiles (such as the "Iskander-M" missile) need to adjust the position of the launch device before launch to plan the optimal trajectory, thereby maximizing the avoidance of interception by enemy air defense systems.

However, the movement of the launch device can be easily detected by enemy space reconnaissance systems, leading to the risk of preemptive strikes against the launch platform.

Missile systems equipped with variable-thrust solid-fuel engines are expected to overcome this limitation, allowing them to launch along the optimal trajectory and strike targets at different distances without moving the launch device.

Variable-thrust solid-fuel engines will significantly enhance the combat effectiveness of strategic and tactical missiles. By adjusting the thrust, strategic missiles can correct their trajectory, change their speed, or perform evasive maneuvers during flight, significantly increasing the difficulty for missile defense systems to predict and intercept — even against the most advanced missile defense systems such as "THAAD" or "Aegis," providing a decisive advantage.

Therefore, if Russia has indeed successfully developed a variable-thrust solid-fuel engine, this would be a major milestone in missile technology, potentially eliminating the long-standing performance gap between solid-fuel and liquid-fuel systems.

This achievement will significantly enhance the flexibility, survivability, and unpredictability of Russia's strategic weapons arsenal, completely changing the existing calculation logic of missile defense and strategic deterrence.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560582902749299234/

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