(ETH) – Russian President Vladimir Putin just announced that the Russian Navy would soon be armed with hypersonic nuclear strike weapons and underwater nuclear drones, which he claims the defense ministry is in its final phase of testing.
This comes as Putin has claimed that he doesn’t want an arms race but has often spoken of a new generation of Russian nuclear weapons that he claims that is unequaled and can strike nearly anywhere in the world. However, Some Western experts have questioned how advanced they are. Some of these weapons include the Poseidon underwater nuclear drone, designed to be carried by submarines, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, which can be deployed on surface ships.
Reuters went on to say: “The combination of speed, maneuverability, and altitude of hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at more than five times the speed of sound, makes them difficult to track and intercept.” Putin recently speaking in St. Petersburg at an annual naval parade claimed that Russia’s best ships, nuclear submarines, and naval aviation capabilities were growing and it would get 40 new vessels this year.
He did not specify when it would receive new hypersonic weapons but suggested that day was drawing closer. “The widespread deployment of advanced digital technologies that have no equals in the world, including hypersonic strike systems and underwater drones, will give the fleet unique advantages and increased combat capabilities,” This comes as Putin recently threatened to deploy hypersonic missiles on ships and submarines that could lurk outside U.S. territorial waters if the US moved to deploy intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe.
