Putin threatens UK with this superweapon
(ORDO NEWS) — Vladimir Putin has a frightening weapon in his arsenal that can be launched from aircraft that are within range of a possible strike on the UK, writes the Daily Express.
Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, with 6,000 nuclear weapons. And with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, many fear that Putin may press the red button because he has already put his nuclear forces “on alert.”
Meanwhile, several Russian politicians have warned that the United Kingdom could be one of the targets.
For example, State Duma deputy Yuri Shatkin threatened that “if necessary” Russia is ready to use its nuclear weapons in order to “destroy the whole of Great Britain in two minutes.”
In addition, Russia has a “superweapon” – the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles – that can be launched from aircraft within striking range of the UK.
Alex Lord, an analyst at research firm Sibylline, told the Daily Express: “Kinzhal is an air-launched tactical hypersonic weapon that is a modified version of existing Iskander ballistic missile systems.”
“These missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 10, and their maximum range after launch is 2,000 kilometers.”
“These missiles are launched from MiG-31K aircraft, a number of which were stationed in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad before the start of the Russian special operation on February 24. Once deployed there, they are within range of a possible strike against the UK.”
“Of all the so-called modern “superweapons,” Kinzhal missiles are the only weapon that Russia used during its special operation in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported many strikes with the use of these weapons on static military targets in the south and west of Ukraine”.
“Although Kinzhals are capable of carrying a nuclear charge, they have been used as a non-nuclear strike weapon in Ukraine so far.”
But daggers are just one of six “super weapons” that Putin can now choose from.
Another such weapon is the intercontinental ballistic missiles “Sarmat”, which in NATO countries have received the name “Satan-2”.
They can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads, develop tremendous speed, and strike targets across the United States and Great Britain.
And the United Kingdom may be completely defenseless against them.
Professor Andrew Futter, an international relations expert at the University of Leicester, said in an interview with the Daily Express that a lack of defensive weapon systems could leave the UK extremely vulnerable to a possible enemy strike.
“We don’t have the means to intercept and destroy Russian ballistic missiles,” he said.
“Almost since the beginning of the Cold War, the UK has relied on deterrence, because defense (both active missile defense and passive civil defense) is extremely expensive, and in some cases simply impossible to provide.”
“At the core of British policy is the threat of nuclear retaliation if attacked.”
“No adversary would risk attacking the UK with a nuclear weapon because it would be followed by a retaliatory nuclear strike.”
According to Professor Futter, the UK has not invested in active defense technology since the 1990s.
It currently has sea-based deterrents at its disposal, which have been deployed since about the 1960s.
The government calls them “the most powerful, most sustainable and most cost-effective platform.”
However, government officials also said: “The UK maintains only the minimum amount of destructive power necessary to ensure that our deterrent will reliably protect against the full range of nuclear threats from adversaries.”
“Our patrol submarines can open fire within a few days, and since 1994 we have not directed our missiles at any state.”
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