Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 5 March 2018
A new "Kraken" arises? Russians eager to name doomsday arms

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV possible thanks to the cre-
MOSCOW (AP) — In just one ation of new materials.
day, the suggestions have "We have been working on
been pouring in: "Kraken" them for quite a long time,"
for a new underwater he said. "Other countries
drone capable of blasting also have tried but appar-
coastlines with a powerful ently so far have failed to
nuclear explosion. "Balalai- make them, and we suc-
ka" for a futuristic nuclear- ceeded thanks to new
powered cruise missile ca- materials." As the weapon
pable of circling the globe. name contest went on,
Russians are showering the Russian officials and law-
Defense Ministry with pro- makers insisted that Pu-
posed names for the coun- tin's speech wasn't an an-
try's new nuclear weapons, nouncement of a new
relishing the online contest arms race but a warning to
announced by President Washington to treat Russia
Vladimir Putin in his state-of- as an equal partner.
the-nation address Thurs- "Russia has no intention of
day. entering an arms race," Pu-
Many of the entries Friday tin spokesman Dmitry Pes-
reflected the wry dark hu- kov told reporters Friday,
mor Russians are known for. In this video grab provided by RU-RTR Russian television via AP television on Thursday, March 1, adding that the weapons
2018, a computer simulation shows a Russian nuclear-powered underwater drone being released
Someone suggested call- by a submarine. presented by the Russian
ing the missile "Sanction," Associated Press leader aimed to maintain
an apparent reference to a "strategic parity, which
Western economic sanc- ary Russian warriors or Putin the intercontinental hyper- The hypersonic vehicle is essential for maintaining
tions against Russia for its himself. sonic strike vehicle called "flies at a speed 20 times peace and stability."
support of separatists in The regional leader of the Avangard border on sci- the speed of sound ... and The Pentagon on Thursday
Ukraine. province of Chechnya, ence fiction. it can maneuver thousands dismissed Putin's boasts
Another proposed calling Ramzan Kadyrov, pro- He said the underwater of kilometers up and down about developing a new
it "Thaw," adding in a note posed calling the nucle- drone "goes faster than and right to left," Putin said, array of nuclear weapons,
of sarcasm that it would fi- ar-powered cruise missile any surface ship that exists gesticulating energetically. saying America's missile de-
nally help warm the ties be- "Palmyra," after the historic today, I wouldn't even tell "It's like science fiction." fense is ready to protect
tween Russia and the U.S. heritage site in Syria that you the speed, it's incred- He said the Avangard's de- the nation but is not direct-
The kraken — a fictional gi- was taken back from the ible." velopment had become ed at Russia.q
gantic Arctic sea monster Islamic State group un-
that was made popular by der the Russian air cover. U.S. considers protected
the "Pirates of the Carib- The site suffered extensive
bean" film series — seemed damage in the fighting.
to reflect the nature of the "The missile's name should status for wild spring Chinook
nuclear-powered drone in- honor our guys who died
tended to sneak close to in Syria," Kadyrov said. "The
the shore unnoticed and Russian victory in Palmyra
slam a heavy nuclear war- marked a turning point in SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — each winter, were once
head into the coast. the fight against the IS." Federal fisheries officials one of the most abundant
And naming the stealth Russian diplomats have said Tuesday they will con- salmon of the Pacific North-
atomic-powered cruise sought to spread the con- sider putting the Pacific west, important to tribes,
missile after a Russian folk test beyond Russia's bor- Northwest's once-flourish- fishermen and wildlife. Cali-
musical instrument tapped ders, with the Russian ing wild spring-run Chinook fornia's Kuruk tribe, which
into a long Russian tradition Embassy in Washington salmon on the list of threat- joined the Salmon River
of giving innocuous names tweeting a link to the De- ened or endangered spe- Restoration Council envi-
to some of the deadliest fense Ministry's web site. cies. The National Marine ronmental group in peti-
weapons. Speaking Friday at a public In this Sept. 23, 2015, file pho- Fisheries Services plans a tioning for more protections
There were quite a few forum in Kaliningrad, Putin to, a spring chinook salmon 12-month review on wheth- for the fish, say the species
four-letter entries as well. again boasted about the reaches the end of the run er to give protected sta- is nearly extinct throughout
Many others were driven new weapons, saying that at the McKenzie Hatchery, tus to the salmon in and much of its range in Ore-
by patriotic feelings, sug- the still-anonymous under- where mature fish are gather- around the Klamath River. gon and Northern Califor-
ing in an annual fall ritual east
gesting that the weapons water drone, the nuclear- of Springfield, Ore. Spring Chinook, historically nia. The tribe blames Klam-
be named after legend- powered cruise missile and Associated Press the first Chinook salmon ath River dams for blocking
to return from the ocean the fish from their spawning
grounds. The Federal En-
ergy Regulatory Commis-
sion is expected to decide
in 2019 whether to approve
a deal among tribes, dam-
owner PacifiCorp utilities
company, and others to
remove the dams and re-
open hundreds of miles of
river to the migrating salm-
on. q