Stratfor: Despite failure, Russia is sticking to the development of its missiles

Russia will continue to prioritize the development of missiles and other strategic weapons systems to strengthen its deterrence with the aim of eliminating US missile defense capabilities as much as possible, which will certainly prompt the United States to respond, Stratfor said.

The recent failure (August 8) to test the Borivistenk highlights Moscow's many shortcomings in weapon development, but the Kremlin is committed to prioritizing the operational deployment of some programs, despite technical challenges. Washington will have to modernize its comprehensive missile defense systems and strategic capabilities.

Stratfor confirmed that the Borevistnik missile incident had immediate and radical effects: five dead and a radiation surge 16 times more than usual, but the biggest effects of a nuclear-powered cruise missile drew renewed attention to the development of some of the country's newest strategic weapons.

Putin's big plans
Russia's missile systems are all directed specifically at avoiding or defeating US missile defense, which Moscow sees as a major threat to its ability to maintain strategic deterrence.

He added that strategic nuclear power is one of Russia's last dependencies on its superpower status.

Besides its importance in countering NATO's superiority over conventional weapons, Russia's desire to retain its dominant position forces it to develop its strategic deterrent above all else. That is why Russia considers US missile defense efforts a serious threat and is working to ensure that it can defeat it.

According to Stratfor, offensive regimes often play an important role in how Russia manages the strategic arms race, rather than seeking parity with the United States in defense capabilities.

The Borivistenk, therefore, fits into this pattern of offensive capability development, because it can achieve any point in the world thanks to nuclear-powered turbines. As a cruise missile, it can evade hostile missile defenses by maneuvering in flight.

The results of the recent failure
The site continued to say that the fateful August 8 test highlights the risks involved in the development of a nuclear-powered missile, the possibility that an accident could lead to the release of radioactive material. Moreover, it also highlights the continuing challenges facing the Russian defense industry in making the missile work.

Russia has denied the failure of further tests for Borevestnik, while US intelligence sources previously claimed that at least four missiles crashed between November 2017 and February 2018 after the best of them had traveled only 35 kilometers. This would make the last test this month the fifth known as well as the most failed to date.

The development of Borivistenk began in the early 2000s, but the stringent targets of the missile appear to exceed Russian defense engineers, and deaths and other injuries from the latest incident could also disrupt the development program. At present, Moscow has announced that it will continue to develop the missile instead of canceling it after nearly two decades of trying.

Despite its failures, the missile is just one aspect of Russia's attempts to increase the capabilities of its strategic forces. The development of other programs has gone more promising, and even if the Kremlin does not succeed in all these projects, the projects that succeeded The United States is already giving a lot to think about the ongoing strategic arms race with Russia.