Moscow Confirms Accomplished Test of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the state's senior general.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-flying experimental weapon, first announced in the past decade, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capability to bypass anti-missile technology.

Western experts have in the past questioned over the projectile's tactical importance and Moscow's assertions of having accomplished its evaluation.

The head of state declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been carried out in 2023, but the assertion was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had limited accomplishment since 2016, based on an arms control campaign group.

The general said the weapon was in the air for fifteen hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were found to be meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.

"As a result, it displayed superior performance to bypass missile and air defence systems," the news agency quoted the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would provide the nation a singular system with worldwide reach potential."

However, as a foreign policy research organization observed the identical period, Russia confronts considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the nation's arsenal likely depends not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts wrote.

"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and an incident resulting in several deaths."

A military journal referenced in the analysis states the projectile has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be deployed across the country and still be capable to target goals in the continental US."

The same journal also says the missile can operate as close to the ground as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, rendering it challenging for air defences to engage.

The weapon, referred to as a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An examination by a news agency the previous year identified a location 475km above the capital as the likely launch site of the armament.

Utilizing satellite imagery from last summer, an expert told the outlet he had detected several deployment sites in development at the site.

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