Talk:Russia's doomsday weapons

Announcements

 * Putin announced that Russia has hypersonic weapons-TASS, March 1, 2018 (video fragment; full video with English voice-over; text-Eng.;full video and text -Rus.).
 * It is said that the new hypersonic system system is called 'Kinzhal' ('Dagger')(presentation video). It was deployed in December, 2017. This is a missile which flies at speeds of/over 10 times the speed of sound, and it can maneuver in the air. It can carry conventional or nuclear weapons. Its range is 'over 2000 km'.  This  missile is launched from a plane, and flies  thereafter in the air at hypersonic speeds. It is stated, likely to boost the plane too, that 'unique flight characteristics of a high-speed carrier aircraft allows the missile to be delivered to the point of discharge within minutes'; the plane shown is MIG -31, with a speed at high altitude of 2.8-3.0 the speed of sound. Some further details are presented on the video, other information is not available.
 * Putin also told about development and a successful test of a cruise missile with a nuclear power plant propulsion (earlier such efforts, Wikipedia 1, 2).
 * Underwater unmanned device with unlimited range also mentioned at 13:36:14
 * 'Sarmat' ballistic missile with anti-missile avoiding capability was described and presented on a 'Sarmat' demo video; hypersonic warheads mentioned in particular (development of ballistic version, Sarmat and guided hypersonic combat units was known, many details on the Russian wikipedia for example; while 'Kinzhal' is a different thing, more like a hypersonic version of a cruise missile, apparently).
 * Demo video presenting new systems: 'Sarmat', nuclear-powered cruise missile, underwater nuclear-powered torpedo.
 * quote:  "a strategic missile complex "Avangard", which "like a fireball" is capable of hitting targets from space"  (13:39). Shown on full video, approximately 1h40m- 1h45m. This refers to a new strategic missile complex with hypersonic winged maneuverable glider block. It travels with  re-entry velocity (by the order of magnitude), which he put at Mach 20 (for comparison, escape from Earth velocity is around 33 Mach). The glider appears to be a sort of unmanned version of the US space shuttle.  Said to have 'deep horizontal and vertical maneuverability'. Said to be operational, but a demo is shown on video, to preserve the secrets, including the true shape.
 * Combat laser systems mentioned and shown on a brief video, around 1h46m on the full video

Response

 * 'Pentagon: Putin's Alleged New Nukes Don't Threaten US Defenses' -Military.com, March 1, 2018
 * ...Cirincione noted that Putin showed graphics of a multi-warhead Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) going over the South Pole. "Why south? Our anti-missile radars and interceptors are in the north," he said ... 
 * US Strategic Command chief: It’s taking way too long to get space-based missile defense -Defense News, March 1, 2018, + Gen. Hyten comments on video

Arms control issues

 * Putin: As you can see, we made no secret of our plans and spoke openly about them, primarily to encourage our partners to hold talks. Let me repeat, this was in 2004.
 * Anti-missile missiles SM-3 has the same first and second stage engine and booster as Tomohawk missile. Russia maintained that Aegis Ashore land-based anti-missile system can launch Tomohawk missiles, which violates  intermediate range missiles treaty and has a range to cover European part of Russia. Pentagon and State Department denied the charge, saying that controls are different; however sea-based Aegis can launch Tomohawks indeed (see here). (Additionally, it was conjectured in media that Russia may want to be out of the treaty anyway; with countries other than USA and Russia not under treaty as one of the factors).
 * Speeds of SM-3 (said to be 10-15 Mach, unclear whether it is for exoatmospheric part of flight or in the air) appear comparable to speeds announced for the new Russian 'Kinzhal' hypersonic missile (10 Mach declared).