Russia Reports Accomplished Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Cruise Missile
Moscow has trialed the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, as stated by the state's top military official.
"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a vast distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the commander told the head of state in a broadcast conference.
The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in 2018, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to avoid defensive systems.
Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.
The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been carried out in the previous year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, merely a pair had partial success since the mid-2010s, according to an non-proliferation organization.
The general stated the projectile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the evaluation on October 21.
He explained the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were confirmed as meeting requirements, as per a domestic media outlet.
"Consequently, it displayed superior performance to circumvent defensive networks," the media source stated the general as saying.
The weapon's usefulness has been the focus of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was first announced in recent years.
A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would provide the nation a unique weapon with intercontinental range capability."
However, as a foreign policy research organization commented the corresponding time, Russia encounters major obstacles in making the weapon viable.
"Its induction into the country's stockpile arguably hinges not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," specialists noted.
"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and an accident causing multiple fatalities."
A defence publication cited in the report states the projectile has a range of between a substantial span, allowing "the weapon to be based anywhere in Russia and still be able to strike targets in the continental US."
The same journal also notes the missile can travel as close to the ground as a very low elevation above the surface, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to stop.
The weapon, code-named Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is believed to be driven by a atomic power source, which is intended to engage after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the air.
An investigation by a reporting service the previous year located a location 295 miles from the city as the likely launch site of the armament.
Utilizing satellite imagery from August 2024, an specialist told the service he had identified several deployment sites under construction at the site.
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