The Russian nuclear train confronts the US missile shield

Death train carrying old Russian RT-23 missiles.

On May 12, the US and NATO activated a missile defense shield at an air base in Deveselu, Romania, while a similar system was also being built in Poland, making Russia angry and declare

The Barguzin nuclear train has its origins in the Rail Combat Missile Complex (BZhRK) built by the Soviet Union in 1969 to transport and launch strategic nuclear missiles to deal with fleets of nuclear submarines

Similar to nuclear submarines, these ships are very difficult to wipe out in an enemy’s pre-emptive attack because of their maneuverability and sophisticated camouflage like cargo ships.

According to Gnomeplanet.com, a BZhRK nuclear train usually has 11 cars, including 7 cars for the command center, three cars for controlling and launching missiles, and one car containing fuel and engines.

Inside the launch car are RT-23 Molodets missiles (NATO designation SS-24 Scalpel), weighing 126 tons, 23 m long, 2.4 m in diameter, containing 10 nuclear warheads with a range of more than 10,000 meters.

According to Russian press sources, the Soviet Union had a total of 12 nuclear trains, each containing three RT-23 missiles.

In 2014, Russia returned to producing `death trains` equipped with ballistic missiles using higher technology to make them more difficult to detect and gave them the codename Barguzin.

`The new trains do not need large carriages and completely match current carriage specifications, helping them avoid enemy reconnaissance and surveillance activities. In addition, unlike the old system, which requires

The Barguzin train can carry 6 RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles (features equivalent to Bulava missiles launched from submarines) and can withstand a nuclear warhead exploding just a few hundred miles away.

According to an anonymous Russian military source revealed to RT, the Barguzin trains were disguised as refrigerated cargo ships.

According to Foxtrotalpha expert Tyler Rogoway, Russia’s new nuclear train is similar to a ballistic missile submarine carrying nuclear warheads on the ground, although the operating costs are much lower.

Equipped with state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems and advanced stealth technology, the Barguzin train can deploy to a firing position within minutes.

President Putin next to a Russian missile system.

With 6 RS-24 missiles, each containing 4 nuclear warheads, the Barguzin train carried a total of 24 warheads, enough to wipe out a large city in one attack.

RS-24 missiles also exhibit fewer infrared signatures, making them difficult for early warning satellites to detect and capture.

In terms of organization, each Barguzin train has a staff equivalent to an independent Strategic Missile Regiment (RSVN).

With Russia recently spending a lot of money to develop and maintain nuclear air and submarine forces as well as ground nuclear forces, it is likely that Moscow will consider the Barguzin nuclear convoys as a force.

See more: American experts are disappointed with missile shields in Europe