Russia Reports Effective Trial of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the nation's leading commander.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff the general told the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-flying experimental weapon, originally disclosed in the past decade, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capacity to avoid missile defences.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having successfully tested it.

The head of state declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been held in the previous year, but the claim lacked outside validation. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, according to an disarmament advocacy body.

The general reported the missile was in the air for a significant duration during the trial on October 21.

He explained 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 advanced abilities to bypass defensive networks," the news agency stated the general as saying.

The missile's utility has been the focus of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in recent years.

A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a unique weapon with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a foreign policy research organization observed the same year, Moscow encounters considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the country's inventory arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of ensuring the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts stated.

"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and a mishap causing a number of casualties."

A armed forces periodical referenced in the study states the missile has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the weapon to be based across the country and still be equipped to reach targets in the continental US."

The corresponding source also notes the missile can fly as at minimal altitude as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, causing complexity for air defences to intercept.

The missile, designated a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a atomic power source, which is designed to commence operation after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the sky.

An examination by a reporting service the previous year located a site 295 miles north of Moscow as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Utilizing satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert reported to the service he had observed multiple firing positions in development at the facility.

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