SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Putin, before vote, unveils 'invincible' nuclear weapons to counter West
President Vladimir Putin unveiled an array of new nuclear weapons on Thursday, in one of his most bellicose speeches in years, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield. [...] His remarks were greeted with scepticism in Washington, where officials cast doubt on whether Russia has added any new capabilities to its nuclear arsenal beyond those already known to the U.S. military and intelligence agencies.
[...] Among weapons that Putin said were either in development or ready was a new intercontinental ballistic missile "with a practically unlimited range" able to attack via the North and South Poles and bypass any missile defense systems.
Putin also spoke of a small nuclear-powered engine that could be fitted to what he said were low-flying, highly maneuverable cruise missiles, giving them a practically unlimited range. The new engine meant Russia was able to make a new type of weapon - nuclear missiles powered by nuclear rather than conventional fuel. "Nothing like it in the world exists," Putin told the audience. "At some point it will probably appear (elsewhere) but by that time our guys will have devised something else."
Other new super weapons he listed included underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon. In one of his video clip demos, a weapon appeared to be hovering over what looked like a map of the state of Florida.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Friday March 02 2018, @06:31AM (11 children)
He's had plenty of people killed and has put Russia under one party rule again. But he is getting old. 65 now, 71 after a 2018-2024 term. Maybe he really cares about Making Russia Great Again™. Or maybe he will decide to go out with a bang, which could be easier to do with a fresh set of modern nukes. He doesn't even have to be religious or "insane" to want to kill everyone off. He just has to want it and ensure the order is carried out.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 02 2018, @06:40AM (1 child)
(Score: -1) by fakefuck39 on Saturday March 03 2018, @04:07AM
русские дураки пишут тупые вещи на русском. this is what happens when you read shit in russian. lacking basic education your knowledge that comes from regurgitating bullshit. source: lived in france for 4 years, lived in moscow for another 4. you should look up that phrase again, en francais ou anglais - n'importe quoi, mais russe - tu tombe chaque fois, l'idiot.
since you're a russian moron and didn't understand what I just said, let me explain what you did: you heard a "famous quote" in russian from some retard. you then looked it up in french. what you end up with - a famous king says a famous thing. some bitch sucking his famous thing repeats her version the famous thing. you then quote her instead of the quote everyone knows. what. a. fucking. retard. have you heard that song "hurt" by johnny cash? you'd love it тупой мудак. мне русский тупец однажды сказал - "это не черные оливки - это маслины."
(Score: 5, Interesting) by jelizondo on Friday March 02 2018, @07:03AM (6 children)
Sorry about this, but according to your logic, Trump is more likely to ‘go out with a bang’. For all his vices and reprehensible behavior Putin has shown himself to be pragmatic, logical and cold as the Russian winter. Trump on the other hand…
And I said sorry because I don't like Putin or any other autocratic SOB running a country but I'm more scared of an emotional, egotistical old man with his finger on the nuclear button than of an old cold-hearthed bastard.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 02 2018, @07:35AM (1 child)
I don't know if I'd assume Trump is the type who would want to "go out with a bang." He's a billionaire with a LOT to lose personally. If anything keeps his finger of the switch, it'd be that personal greed of his.
However, that being said, Trump is also an idiot as shown every time he opens his mouth or types on twitter. So if he goes out with a bang I'd totally believe it was from incompetence rather than deliberately wanting to burn his assets to the ground.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 02 2018, @08:10AM
I'd worry less about keeping his finger off the switch, and more about keeping his coffee cup off the switch...
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday March 02 2018, @09:07AM (1 child)
I mentioned "ensure the order is carried out".
We can speculate about which country has more safeguards preventing a nuclear strike order from an unhinged leader.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by jelizondo on Saturday March 03 2018, @01:17AM
As far as I can tell, the Russians have shown courage and refused to launch nuclear weapons even when ordered to do so. I can’t find a similar case of U.S. servicemen.
If history is any guide, the only country who has actually used nuclear weapons is the U.S. It could be argued that the serviceman ordered to destroy Hiroshima didn’t know the effects of the bomb, but by the time Nagasaki came along, they surely did.
Of course, we are not talking about obliterating a single city, we are talking about a major catastrophe, the end of civilization and perhaps of the human species, so it is to be hoped that anyone, anywhere, receiving the order to launch nuclear weapons will refuse.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by FatPhil on Friday March 02 2018, @09:46AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday March 13 2018, @01:34AM
Trump may be a fool, but he's not suicidal. He's a narcissist, and the last thing they want to do is to put themselves in unnecessary risk, and certainly not get themselves killed.
If you want to be scared, think about the possibility of Trump getting impeached, and then Pence becoming President. That guy is a religious loon, and religion nuts really are liable to do crazy stuff like that.
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday March 02 2018, @06:37PM (1 child)
Which raises the question of what safeguards are currently in place in Russia to make it hard for Putin to initiate a nuclear war? My understanding is the Soviets used a two button approach compared to America's one button approach. The one button approach is scary, especially when the potential button pusher just needs to win a popularity contest to be put in charge of that button.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 05 2018, @07:14AM
All of his people have investments, property and (grand)children in the West. If he decides to actually nuke it all he has a high probability of dying from the flu.