It seems like another cold war is on the horizons with the conflict in Syria and Iraq getting worse each day and in the process, expanding the cleavage between the world powers. It has also triggered increased insecurity between the enemies fighting or covertly supporting the fighters in Syria and Iraq, triggering over the top defensive measures against each other and a serious concern for another arms race.
And supporting this argument is the recent news of the Russian army announcing a massive new nuclear weapon. The new nuclear bomb comes with RS-28 Sarmat missile which is capable of travelling at a speed of 4.3 miles per second while carrying over 40 megatons of nuclear explosives. For its destructive capabilities, NATO termed the missile “Satan 2”. The weapon is considered to be capable of decimating an area of the size of France and has 2,000 times more power than the bombs which ravaged Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The missile is reported to have a range of 6,213 miles (10,000 km), which means the missile is capable of hitting London and other European countries as well as the American west and east coasts.
The Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, Russia said in a statement:
“In accordance with the Decree of the Russian Government ‘On the State Defense Order for 2010 and the planning period 2012-2013’, the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau was instructed to start design and development work on the Sarmat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the upgrade of their older weaponry with Satan 2 and its 16 nuclear warheads at a time where international tensions are soaring, and the smell of mistrust and betrayal has fused with the stench of Arab carcases to create a deadly aroma. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has already criticised Putin for “undermining the West’s efforts to give a political settlement in Syria.” The tensions further escalated when both Britain and the United States Governments announced that they would be sending supplies and troops for a NATO army build-up on the Russian border.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stotenberg justified the beefing up,
“This month alone, Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad and suspended a weapons-grade plutonium agreement with the United States.”
Testing of the Sarmat missile has already started near Miass in Russia, and the Russian Defence Ministry aims to put Sarmat ready for action as soon as late 2018.
What are your thoughts on the rising escalations between the world powers? Are we heading towards another bipolar lockdown?
Comment below!