Will Russian Inflatable Domes Replace Missile Defense Systems?

Russian-American scientist and inventor, Alexander Botkin, wrote a paper entitled, “A Cheap Method for Shielding a City from Rocket and Nuclear Warhead Impacts.” In it he describes the proposed solution to protecting densely populated cities from nuclear, chemical and biological bombs delivered by warheads, strategic missiles and rockets as a cheap, closed AB-Dome. He claims the AB-Dome is also useful in peacetime because it regulates the internal climate by shielding the city from exterior weather.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this unique proposal is the idea of utilizing "stones" to defeat thermonuclear warheads. To quote Botkin exactly:

“For increasing protection, the AB-Dome cover may be armored with selected strong stones (for example, pebbles, rock flakes, pieces of concrete, and other cheap and available materials), having mass 0.1 – 1 kg.”

Botkin’s approach is simple, cheap and practical, three factors difficult to combat. His thin film inflatable domes would destroy the missile’s warhead before it has a chance to detonate upon impact with the dome. If the missile should detonate outside the dome, the air blast and heat radiation would be reduced by a factor of 10 to 1000. The addition of a second inner dome inside the outer dome reduces the air blast and radiation by even more.

Does Botkin have the right idea?

Who’s to say?

I for one, would rather not test it.