MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. The ambitious Golden Fleet initiative proposed by former US President Donald Trump is likely to face inevitable failure, as current American air and missile defense systems are ill-equipped to counter modern high-precision hypersonic weapons, according to Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA).
Stepanov explained, "It has been asserted that the Golden Fleet ships will be equipped with railguns, laser weapons, hypersonic missiles, and nuclear warhead carriers. Such a fleet would inherently become a prime target. Presently, the US Navy’s onboard air and missile defenses are incapable of reliably intercepting hypersonic threats, including sophisticated missiles like Russia’s Tsirkon (Zircon) and comparable Chinese systems. It is clear that the concept of the Golden Fleet is fundamentally flawed in terms of survivability and alignment with current anti-ship capabilities."
The expert further characterized the project as a manifestation of American maximalism and an attempt at military-technical gigantism, reminiscent of the early 20th century dreadnought race - a symbolic display of strength rather than a practical strategic asset.
