Moscow Confirms Effective Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the reactor-driven Burevestnik long-range missile, as reported by the nation's senior general.

"We have executed a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov told the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-flying advanced armament, initially revealed in 2018, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to bypass missile defences.

Western experts have in the past questioned over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The head of state said that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been carried out in the previous year, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, merely a pair had partial success since 2016, as per an arms control campaign group.

The general said the missile was in the sky for fifteen hours during the trial on the specified date.

He explained the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were tested and were confirmed as complying with standards, according to a local reporting service.

"Consequently, it demonstrated superior performance to circumvent missile and air defence systems," the media source quoted the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of heated controversy in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would provide the nation a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

However, as an international strategic institute commented the corresponding time, Moscow faces considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the state's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists noted.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and an incident causing multiple fatalities."

A armed forces periodical quoted in the analysis claims the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to reach goals in the United States mainland."

The same journal also says the missile can fly as close to the ground as a very low elevation above the earth, making it difficult for defensive networks to intercept.

The weapon, code-named an operational name by a Western alliance, is considered powered by a reactor system, which is supposed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An examination by a news agency recently pinpointed a site 295 miles above the capital as the likely launch site of the missile.

Employing satellite imagery from August 2024, an analyst told the agency he had observed nine horizontal launch pads in development at the location.

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