Is Russian Doomsday Drone the New ‘Kraken’
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In just one day, the suggestions have been pouring in. How about “Kraken” for a new underwater drone capable of blasting coastlines with a powerful nuclear explosion?
“Balalaika” for a futuristic nuclear-powered cruise missile capable of circling the globe. Russians are showering the Defense Ministry with proposed names for the country’s new nuclear weapons, relishing the online contest announced by President Vladimir Putin in his state-of-the-nation address Thursday, the AP reports.
Many of the entries Friday reflected the wry dark humor Russians are known for. Someone suggested calling the missile “Sanction,” an apparent reference to Western economic sanctions against Russia for its support of separatists in Ukraine.
Related: Russian Doomsday Machine Could Level Entire Cities
The Kraken—a fictional gigantic Arctic sea monster that was made popular by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series—seemed to reflect the nature of the nuclear-powered drone intended to sneak close to the shore unnoticed and slam a heavy nuclear warhead into the coast.
In addition, naming the stealth atomic-powered cruise missile after a Russian folk musical instrument tapped into a long Russian tradition of giving innocuous names to some of the deadliest weapons.
There were quite a few four-letter entries as well. As the weapon name contest went on, Russian officials and lawmakers insisted that Putin’s speech wasn’t an announcement of a new arms race but a warning to Washington to treat Russia as an equal partner.
Edited via Newser…
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He had to respect Obama and I think he was afraid of Hillary. Watching Trump I can’t help thinking of him as a monkey in a cage – and that’s where he belongs.
Sour old Putin seems so be smiling a lot these days and that’s scary. Like when a cobra smiles.
Yes its about mocking Mr Trump and if ever a fat person needed to be mocked it was him, and Mr Putin would never have mocked President Obama because he respected him, which he does not Trump.
We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when. . .
I think the US tested a nuclear rocket motor 60 years ago, or maybe it was a ramjet, but decided against it. I think if the Russians had ever tested one in flight we would detect it, since it spits out radioactive particles like a firehose.
It does seem that we have so much overkill that an attack on us would end in Mutually Assured Destruction anyway and this whole thing is mostly about mocking Trump and rattling his cage. Now if only we could get him into a cage
Lock him up!
Celebrating weapons of mass destruction in a fun, light-hearted manner. Now ain’t that special?