Russia Confirms Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon
Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the state's leading commander.
"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov informed the Russian leader in a televised meeting.
The low-flying prototype missile, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capacity to avoid missile defences.
Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having accomplished its evaluation.
The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, as per an arms control campaign group.
The general stated the missile was in the air for a significant duration during the trial on 21 October.
He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be up to specification, based on a domestic media outlet.
"As a result, it displayed high capabilities to evade defensive networks," the outlet quoted the general as saying.
The missile's utility has been the subject of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was first announced in recent years.
A previous study by a foreign defence research body concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a unique weapon with global strike capacity."
However, as a foreign policy research organization commented the same year, Russia confronts considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.
"Its entry into the country's inventory arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.
"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident leading to a number of casualties."
A defence publication cited in the report asserts the weapon has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the projectile to be based across the country and still be capable to target goals in the continental US."
The same journal also notes the missile can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above ground, rendering it challenging for aerial protection systems to intercept.
The weapon, designated an operational name by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is designed to engage after initial propulsion units have launched it into the sky.
An examination by a reporting service the previous year pinpointed a facility 475km north of Moscow as the possible firing point of the weapon.
Employing satellite imagery from the recent past, an analyst informed the outlet he had observed multiple firing positions under construction at the location.
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