Russia Confirms Effective Test of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the country's leading commander.

"We have executed a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff the general told President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-altitude experimental weapon, originally disclosed in recent years, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capability to bypass defensive systems.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The head of state said that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been conducted in last year, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had moderate achievement since 2016, according to an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov reported the projectile was in the sky for a significant duration during the evaluation on October 21.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be up to specification, according to a local reporting service.

"Therefore, it demonstrated high capabilities to bypass defensive networks," the outlet quoted the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in recent years.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a singular system with intercontinental range capability."

Nonetheless, as a foreign policy research organization noted the corresponding time, Russia confronts considerable difficulties in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the state's arsenal potentially relies not only on resolving the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.

"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and an accident causing multiple fatalities."

A defence publication referenced in the analysis claims the weapon has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the weapon to be based across the country and still be able to target goals in the American territory."

The corresponding source also says the projectile can operate as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, making it difficult for air defences to intercept.

The weapon, code-named a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to commence operation after initial propulsion units have sent it into the atmosphere.

An inquiry by a reporting service the previous year pinpointed a location 475km from the city as the probable deployment area of the armament.

Utilizing orbital photographs from August 2024, an analyst reported to the agency he had identified several deployment sites being built at the facility.

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