Nuclear Horizons: The 2025 Arms Race – Russia, the U.S., and China Deploy Game-Changing Weapons

---

In a stark reminder of the escalating global arms race, Russia has thrust itself back into the spotlight with the unveiling of its Burevestnik (NATO: SSC-X-9 Skyfall) nuclear-powered cruise missile, boasting virtually unlimited range thanks to its revolutionary nuclear propulsion system. As highlighted in a recent Rumble video exposé, this weapon—capable of indefinite flight without refueling—represents Moscow’s bold bid to redefine strategic deterrence. Tested successfully on October 26, 2025, over the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, the Burevestnik flew for an astonishing 15 hours, evading simulated defenses and underscoring Russia’s nuclear ambitions amid ongoing tensions with the West.

President Vladimir Putin hailed it as a “weapon no one else possesses,” a low-flying terror that could circle the globe multiple times before striking. This development isn’t isolated; it’s part of a triad of superpowers—Russia, the United States, and China—racing to deploy hypersonic, nuclear, and AI-driven armaments in 2025, reshaping battlefields from the skies to the cyber realm. As Donald Trump decried the test as “not appropriate,” the world braces for a new era where speed, stealth, and sustainability dictate supremacy.

• Want more Military News and War features – vids too – see Whatfinger’s Military and War News homepage

Russia’s Burevestnik, first conceptualized in the early 2010s, has long been shrouded in secrecy, plagued by test failures and radiation leaks. But 2025 marks its phoenix-like resurgence. On October 26, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a flawless ground-launched test from Novaya Zemlya, the remote Arctic site synonymous with Soviet-era nuclear trials. Powered by a compact nuclear airburst engine, the missile achieves near-infinite range—estimated at 20,000+ kilometers—while hugging terrain at subsonic speeds to dodge radar. Unlike conventional cruise missiles limited by fuel, its nuclear ramjet propulsion allows loitering over targets indefinitely, delivering a 1-megaton warhead with impunity. Strategic implications are profound. As Ukraine grinds on, Putin positions the Burevestnik as a counter to NATO’s missile shields, capable of striking U.S. bases from Arctic vectors.

Dubbed “Skyfall” by NATO — boasts a practically unlimited range, capable of months of flight This missile is built to be unstoppable: flying low and maneuvering to slip through enemy defenses Its destructive power is immense, with a warhead estimated at up to one megaton Born from the 2001 US ABM Treaty withdrawal, the missile is planned for service by 2027

🇷🇺 Burevestnik — dubbed “Skyfall” by NATO — boasts a practically unlimited range, capable of months of flight

This missile is built to be unstoppable: flying low and maneuvering to slip through enemy defenses

Its destructive power is immense, with a warhead estimated at up to… https://t.co/ASOsEnlqdh pic.twitter.com/zGocb6vAbi

— The Other Side Media (@TheOtherSideRu) October 26, 2025

Norway’s detection of the launch via seismic sensors confirmed its nuclear signature, prompting NATO alerts. Deployment is slated for 2026, with initial batteries in Kaliningrad and the Far East, per state media. Yet risks loom: Past accidents, like the 2019 Nyonoksa explosion killing five, highlight fallout hazards from its radioactive exhaust. Russia’s pivot to such “doomsday” tech signals desperation or dominance—either way, it escalates the nuclear poker game. Beyond Burevestnik, Moscow’s 2025 arsenal expands with Sarmat ICBM upgrades and Poseidon nuclear torpedoes entering trials. The Sarmat’s fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS) could bypass U.S. early warning, while Poseidon promises tsunami-inducing coastal strikes. These aren’t prototypes; they’re being integrated into active forces, bolstering Russia’s asymmetric edge against superior conventional foes.

• Want more Military News and War features – vids too – see Whatfinger’s Military and War News homepage

America’s Hypersonic Leap: Dark Eagle Soars into the Fray

The United States, undeterred by rivals’ advances, is surging ahead with hypersonic deployments in 2025, prioritizing speed over endurance to outpace Moscow and Beijing. Leading the charge is the Army’s Dark Eagle (Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, LRHW), which achieved full operational capability in April. Traveling at Mach 5+ (over 3,800 mph), this ground-launched boost-glide system covers 1,725 miles in minutes, evading intercepts with unpredictable maneuvers. The first battery deployed to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, during multinational Exercise Talisman Sabre in August, where it integrated with Pacific allies for simulated strikes on “peer adversaries.” This milestone follows a $4.7 billion investment, yielding a weapon that pierces A2/AD (anti-access/area denial) bubbles—China’s South China Sea forts chief among them.

China’s Shadow Arsenal: Hypersonics, Drones, and Digital Dominion

This 2025 triad—Russia’s endless loiterers, America’s swift gliders, China’s swarm overlords—heralds mutual assured disruption. Burevestnik’s radiation trail could poison swaths if intercepted, while U.S. hypersonics strain ABM treaties, and China’s digital firepower blurs war’s lines. Interoperability gaps persist: Russia’s tech lags in reliability, the U.S. in volume, China in stealth. Yet synergies loom—Sino-Russian joint drills in the Arctic tested Burevestnik escorts with DF-27s, per Reuters. For the U.S., these deployments justify NGAD’s $80 billion tab, but fiscal hawks decry escalation. Globally, arms control evaporates; New START expires in 2026 without heirs. As Trump eyes re-entry, the question lingers: Deterrence or doomsday? In this nuclear tango, 2025’s unveilings aren’t triumphs—they’re tremors foretelling quakes.

In light of all that is now in development and being rolled out by China and Russia, it is imperative that we immediately STOP pushing Russia and China into a mutual defense pact. We have a whole write up on what this means… and it is not good for the U.S. Everyone must understand what can easily happen if we do not stop doing what the Deep State and war hawks want, which is a NATO war with Russia. See: The Unstoppable Axis: How a Russia-China Mutual Defense Pact Spells Doom for the U.S. and Its Allies