Russian forces test a missile with unlimited range, can it stay in the sky forever?
October 27 report, Russian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gerasimov reported to President Putin that Russia successfully tested the Sea Breeze nuclear-powered cruise missile on the same day, with a flight distance exceeding 14,000 kilometers.
Kremlin's released video shows Putin wearing a camouflage uniform, listening to the latest progress of the project along with senior military officials.
This missile is called an "unlimited range" strategic weapon by Russia, which can fly around the Earth and bypass any existing air defense system.
However, "unlimited range" does not mean this missile can really stay in the sky forever.
Its core design is a jet engine powered by a small nuclear reactor, which can run for dozens of hours or even longer under ideal conditions, allowing the missile to cruise at very low altitude for a long time.
But it is still a weapon, not a satellite, and will not enter orbit around the Earth.
The flight path is still limited by navigation, target selection, structural life span, and mission requirements.
This means it cannot stay aloft for long periods like strategic bombers or early warning aircraft. Once launched, it is almost equivalent to entering the attack process, and there is almost no so-called "stay in the sky" mode for long-term standby in actual combat.
The most similar concept to the Sea Breeze missile in history was the United States' Pluto Project in the 1950s, also a nuclear-powered cruise missile, which was completely terminated due to technical risks, environmental pollution, and arms control pressures.
Russia had a Sea Breeze test accident in 2019, resulting in the deaths of several researchers and a radioactive leak.
At that time, Western experts generally believed that even if such weapons succeeded in flying, they would face significant nuclear safety hazards. From the publicity of this test launch, it can be seen that Russia has not disclosed the reactor structure, flight path, or whether environmental protection designs were adopted, nor has it revealed whether the missile was successfully recovered in the end.
From a strategic perspective, the Sea Breeze is a typical deterrent weapon, its existence itself is to increase the uncertainty of the opponent, even if it cannot stay in the sky forever, it is still a sword of Damocles hanging over Europe and America.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847116357632137/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.