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

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the state's leading commander.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Chief of General Staff the general reported to the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-altitude advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capability to bypass anti-missile technology.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The national leader declared that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been held in the previous year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, just two instances had partial success since 2016, according to an non-proliferation organization.

The military leader said the weapon was in the sky for fifteen hours during the test on the specified date.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were confirmed as up to specification, as per a national news agency.

"Therefore, it exhibited advanced abilities to bypass defensive networks," the media source quoted the general as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A 2021 report by a American military analysis unit concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

Yet, as a global defence think tank noted the identical period, Russia confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the country's arsenal likely depends not only on overcoming the considerable technical challenge of securing the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," analysts stated.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and an incident causing a number of casualties."

A military journal cited in the study claims the missile has a range of between a substantial span, permitting "the weapon to be deployed across the country and still be equipped to target goals in the American territory."

The corresponding source also explains the weapon can fly as close to the ground as a very low elevation above the surface, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, designated a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is thought to be powered by a reactor system, which is intended to engage after initial propulsion units have sent it into the air.

An inquiry by a media outlet last year identified a facility 295 miles north of Moscow as the probable deployment area of the armament.

Utilizing satellite imagery from last summer, an expert reported to the agency he had observed several deployment sites in development at the location.

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