Vladimir Putin develops railway-based nuclear missile launcher that travels across Russia disguised as passenger train
But some Russian analysts say the Soviet concept is obsolete tech
RUSSIA is developing a 'death train' to secretly carry nuclear missiles to launch sites in the event of war, it has been reported.
The supervillain-like weapons will be manufactured for the first time since 2005 - but Moscow claims new technology will make the devastating weapons 'untraceable'.
The first railway missile complexes (BZhRKs) with ballistic missiles were manufactured in 1969 to counter the United State's nuclear subs.
They needed three locomotives to move, and were so heavy that they damaged railroad tracks.
The new launchers closely resemble ordinary cargo trains to thwart spy satellites and can travel anywhere across Russia's vast rail network.
Related stories
Russian military industry official Viktor Murakhovsky told the Moscow-funded pro-government website : "They will not need any specific big cars. They will completely coincide with the existing parameters of railcars and will therefore be completely hidden from a foe's reconnaissance and surveillance.
"Moreover, the system will enable launches virtually everywhere on the railway bed in contrast with the previous system that required special launch conditions."
The new project, codenamed 'Barguzin', will carry six ICBMs (inter-continental ballistic missiles)
However, Russian military analyst Alexander Konovalov said a return to "cumbersome" and outdated Soviet concepts, was a "bad idea".
Konovalov, the president of the Institute for Strategic Assessment, a Moscow-based private think-tank, told RIA Novosti: "We’re better off developing telecoms systems, unmanned drones and precision weapons, not these monsters.
Tensions between Russia and Nato are high because of differences over Syria and Ukraine.
As a result, Moscow has been flaunting its new military technology, such as a terrifying new fighter jet that can wipe out enemy planes using a laser, and a robotic system that protects nuclear missile silos even after an enemy nuke has exploded nearby.