Russian Nuclear Powered Weapons

A computer model of the Burevestnik missile. © RT

Russia claims that this nuclear powered missle made a 9,000 mile test flight. That's a very good trick. I don't know how it works, but the only way I can think of is that it operates like a ramjet. In that case they would use a conventional rocket to boost it up to cruising velocity where there is enough air coming in. The air is heated in the reactor and then it escapes out the back. If they can do that without spreading radiation far and wide, that would be a VERY good trick.

NATO's designation is Skyfall, which you may remember was the name of a James Bond movie from 2012.

The development of the Poseidon underwater drone. ©  Russian Defense Ministry

In season 3 of the Netflix show The Diplomat, our players got themselves twisted in knots over a Russian submarine that was carrying a Poseidon drone that sank off the coast of England.

While these weapons are fearsome, I don't think it is worth worrying about them. I mean, we already have enough nuclear armed conventional missiles to destroy the world should someone get a burr up their ass.

On the plus side, they might prompt our nuclear engineers to develop our own miniature nuclear reactor, assuming they haven't already done so and are just keeping it under wraps. Miniature nuclear reactors could be very handy for just about anything people want to do. Assuming they can figure out how to deal with the radioactive byproducts.