Russia Announces Successful Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile
Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the state's senior general.
"We have conducted 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 reported to the Russian leader in a public appearance.
The low-flying advanced armament, first announced in recent years, has been hailed as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to evade defensive systems.
Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having successfully tested it.
The head of state declared that a "final successful test" of the missile had been conducted in the previous year, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had limited accomplishment since 2016, according to an arms control campaign group.
The general reported the projectile was in the sky for fifteen hours during the evaluation on the specified date.
He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were determined to be meeting requirements, as per a local reporting service.
"Consequently, it exhibited advanced abilities to bypass defensive networks," the outlet quoted the official as saying.
The projectile's application has been the subject of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in recent years.
A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would give Russia a singular system with global strike capacity."
However, as an international strategic institute commented the identical period, Moscow confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.
"Its integration into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," experts wrote.
"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap leading to multiple fatalities."
A military journal referenced in the analysis claims the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be able to strike goals in the continental US."
The identical publication also explains the projectile can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, making it difficult for air defences to engage.
The weapon, code-named an operational name by a Western alliance, is thought to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the atmosphere.
An investigation by a reporting service the previous year identified a site 475km above the capital as the likely launch site of the armament.
Employing satellite imagery from last summer, an analyst reported to the outlet he had observed nine horizontal launch pads in development at the site.
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