Beyond reach: Why America’s ‘Golden Dome’ may be powerless against Russia’s doomsday missile

A nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range could outmaneuver even the most ambitious US missile defenses

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump launched the ambitious “Golden Dome” initiative – a sweeping plan to build a national missile defense system capable of shielding America from modern threats: ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and advanced cruise missiles. Designed as a next-generation shield, the Golden Dome aspires to close gaps in the nation’s defenses and guarantee security against a broad range of airborne dangers.

But even the most sophisticated defense can face a threat it wasn’t designed to stop. As Washington doubles down on its plans for a new shield, Russia is preparing a weapon unlike anything currently in existence – a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range. And it’s a threat the Golden Dome may struggle to counter.

Unexpected question for America’s new shield

Russia is on the verge of deploying an entirely new class of cruise missile that could fundamentally alter air defense paradigms: nuclear-powered, unlimited-range cruise missiles. Chief among them is the Burevestnik.

It’s only logical that US missile defense planners are thinking ahead to such unconventional threats. Open-source intelligence researchers like MT_Anderson have recently shared satellite imagery revealing suspected construction of Burevestnik launch facilities near Vologda. If verified, this would mark the next phase in the deployment of a weapon capable of shaking the foundations of global strategic stability.