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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: 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.
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(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.