Moscow Confirms Effective Test of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Weapon
Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the nation's senior general.
"We have executed a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.
The low-flying experimental weapon, initially revealed in 2018, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capability to evade missile defences.
International analysts have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.
The president stated that a "final successful test" of the missile had been carried out in last year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had partial success since several years ago, based on an non-proliferation organization.
The military leader said the projectile was in the sky for 15 hours during the test on October 21.
He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be complying with standards, as per a domestic media outlet.
"As a result, it demonstrated superior performance to evade defensive networks," the news agency quoted the official as saying.
The missile's utility has been the focus of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was originally disclosed in the past decade.
A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."
Nonetheless, as an international strategic institute observed the identical period, Moscow faces considerable difficulties in achieving operational status.
"Its integration into the country's arsenal likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of securing the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," specialists stated.
"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A defence publication cited in the analysis asserts the missile has a operational radius of between a substantial span, enabling "the projectile to be stationed throughout the nation and still be equipped to target targets in the American territory."
The corresponding source also notes the missile can operate as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for air defences to intercept.
The projectile, code-named an operational name by an international defence pact, is thought to be propelled by a atomic power source, which is designed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the atmosphere.
An examination by a news agency recently located a location 295 miles from the city as the probable deployment area of the missile.
Utilizing satellite imagery from the recent past, an specialist reported to the agency he had detected several deployment sites under construction at the location.
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