Moscow Confirms Effective Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the country's top military official.

"We have executed a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff the commander told President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to bypass defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The head of state stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the armament had been carried out in the previous year, but the assertion was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, according to an disarmament advocacy body.

The general said the missile was in the atmosphere for fifteen hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were determined to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it exhibited superior performance to evade missile and air defence systems," the news agency reported the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in recent years.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a singular system with intercontinental range capability."

Yet, as an international strategic institute commented the identical period, the nation faces significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the state's inventory potentially relies not only on overcoming the considerable technical challenge of ensuring the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," experts wrote.

"There were multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident resulting in multiple fatalities."

A military journal cited in the analysis claims the projectile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the projectile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be able to target targets in the United States mainland."

The identical publication also notes the missile can operate as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, causing complexity for defensive networks to stop.

The weapon, referred to as a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is considered driven by a atomic power source, which is intended to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the air.

An examination by a media outlet recently pinpointed a facility 295 miles from the city as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from August 2024, an expert informed the outlet he had detected nine horizontal launch pads in development at the site.

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