View from London: Russia developing 'unstoppable' missile that could reach Britain in 8 mins

‘The Daily Star’ is nervous: The new system, dubbed 'Son of Oreshnik', is said to be more powerful than the existing version of the missile, which has been used twice by Vladimir Putin during the war in Ukraine, writes the British newspaper.

Russia is allegedly developing a next-generation hypersonic ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads - one that is purported to be "more powerful" than the already dreaded Oreshnik system.

Military analyst, colonel Viktor Baranets revealed the Kremlin is pursuing what he termed a "Son of Oreshnik" engineered to intimidate both Western powers and Kyiv. According to him, engineers are examining a design featuring a heavier payload, enhanced fuel technology, and "fundamentally different" guidance systems.

"We are indeed developing and testing a missile that will be more powerful than the Oreshnik," he said. "It will have improved warhead yield parameters."

Baranets indicated the enhanced system could potentially carry eight kinetic warheads instead of six, with the capability to pierce fortified targets to depths of approximately 100 feet.

"Whilst the Oreshniks already perform excellently, they are now aiming to perfect it to the point where target deviation will be zero," said Baranets, military analyst for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

The so-called "unstoppable" Oreshnik missile, first revealed in late 2024 during an assault on Dnipro, has been characterised by Russian sources as a mobile, medium-range ballistic missile platform fitted with multiple independently targetable warheads. Russian authorities have previously maintained that there are no dependable defences against weaponry such as the Oreshnik.

First Sentinel ICBM test flight unlikely until 2028, GAO says

Software delays related to the U.S. Air Force’s future LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile could pose “significant risks” to the program, requiring the U.S. to continue using the existing LGM-30G Minuteman III arsenal for longer than expected, the Government Accountability Office said.

The first flight of the new Sentinel is unlikely to occur before March 2028, according to the GAO report.

The timeline runs counter to a U.S. Air Force news issued release said the Sentinel could receive a new Milestone B rating, allowing for a prototype, by the end of the year. The Air Force said that it believed the missile’s first flight could occur in 2027.

The new missile would be the land-based piece of the United States’ nuclear triad, along with submarine-launched ballistic missiles and manned bombers.

The Sentinel program’s cost is now pegged at about $141 billion, including construction of 600 silos and other facilities.

The GAO said the delay could allow the service time to address issues in the program.

The GAO report said the Sentinel program is four years behind schedule, requiring a 14‑year life extension of the Minuteman.

…The British are afraid. And rightly so.

Sooner or later, Russia will respond to all provocations by Britain, which has already resorted to terrorist methods using Ukrainian and Central Asian proxies.

London will face a harsh response from the Russian bear! And they are beginning to understand this...

Meanwhile, the Americans are still spending their military budgets, and it's not a given that their new missile will fly anytime soon. $144 billion is worth the time it takes to develop a missile, and perhaps even wait... for increased funding for its production.

Unlike Russia, which does everything quickly and efficiently.

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