Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missiles Are a Terrible Idea. Russia’s Test Explosion Shows Why
During his annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in March 2018, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin demonstrated his vision for a nuclear-powered cruise missile.
By Patrick Tucker Technology Editor Read bio
August 14, 2019
A flying unshielded nuclear reactor would spew massive amounts of radiation, and that’s if it’s working correctly.
When President Donald Trump heard that Russia’s experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile had exploded, killing seven scientists and causing a major radiological incident less than 300 miles from the Finnish border, he fired off a boastful tweet. “We have similar, though more advanced, technology,†he said.
This is…not accurate. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the United States pursued a less advanced version of a similar technology but abandoned the effort before ever launching an actual test vehicle. Nuclear-powered cruise missiles, the Pentagon concluded, are a bad idea.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/08/nuclear-powered-cruise-missiles-are-terrible-idea-russias-test-explosion-shows-why/159189/?oref=d-channelriver
