Russia Reports Successful Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the country's top military official.

"We have launched a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the commander reported to the Russian leader in a televised meeting.

The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the ability to avoid missile defences.

Foreign specialists have in the past questioned over the projectile's tactical importance and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.

The head of state stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been conducted in the previous year, but the claim lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had limited accomplishment since the mid-2010s, as per an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov stated the missile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the test on the specified date.

He said the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were confirmed as up to specification, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it demonstrated high capabilities to bypass defensive networks," the news agency reported the official as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was first announced in 2018.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

Yet, as a foreign policy research organization commented the identical period, Russia encounters significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the country's stockpile potentially relies not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts wrote.

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

A military journal quoted in the analysis claims the projectile has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the weapon to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to target goals in the American territory."

The identical publication also explains the weapon can fly as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, causing complexity for air defences to intercept.

The missile, designated a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is believed to be driven by a atomic power source, which is intended to commence operation after initial propulsion units have launched it into the sky.

An examination by a media outlet recently pinpointed a facility 475km from the city as the likely launch site of the armament.

Utilizing satellite imagery from August 2024, an expert reported to the outlet he had identified nine horizontal launch pads being built at the location.

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