Russia Confirms Successful Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon

The nation has evaluated the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the nation's top military official.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-altitude advanced armament, first announced in recent years, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to avoid missile defences.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The head of state declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been held in last year, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, just two instances had partial success since the mid-2010s, as per an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov said the projectile was in the air for fifteen hours during the trial on October 21.

He said the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were determined to be meeting requirements, as per a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it demonstrated high capabilities to circumvent anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency reported the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

Nonetheless, as an international strategic institute noted the identical period, Russia faces significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the nation's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the considerable technical challenge of ensuring the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," experts stated.

"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap resulting in a number of casualties."

A armed forces periodical cited in the study states the weapon has a flight distance of between a substantial span, enabling "the projectile to be deployed across the country and still be equipped to strike goals in the United States mainland."

The same journal also notes the missile can fly as low as a very low elevation above the surface, causing complexity for air defences to engage.

The weapon, code-named an operational name by a Western alliance, is believed to be driven by a reactor system, which is intended to commence operation after initial propulsion units have sent it into the air.

An inquiry by a media outlet recently pinpointed a site 295 miles from the city as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Employing orbital photographs from last summer, an expert told the outlet he had detected multiple firing positions being built at the facility.

Related Developments

• Head of State Endorses Modifications to Strategic Guidelines