Moscow Announces Effective Test of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Weapon

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the state's top military official.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the commander informed the head of state in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude prototype missile, first announced in 2018, has been described as having a possible global reach and the ability to avoid defensive systems.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the weapon's military utility and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.

The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been held in 2023, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since 2016, according to an arms control campaign group.

The general stated the weapon was in the atmosphere for 15 hours during the evaluation on 21 October.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were tested and were found to be complying with standards, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it demonstrated superior performance to bypass missile and air defence systems," the media source quoted the official as saying.

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

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank observed the same year, Russia encounters significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the state's inventory potentially relies not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of securing the dependable functioning of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts wrote.

"There were multiple unsuccessful trials, and an accident causing several deaths."

A armed forces periodical quoted in the report asserts the weapon has a range of between a substantial span, enabling "the weapon to be based throughout the nation and still be equipped to reach targets in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also explains the weapon can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to stop.

The weapon, referred to as Skyfall by a Western alliance, is believed to be propelled by a atomic power source, which is designed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have propelled it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet recently located a site a considerable distance north of Moscow as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Utilizing space-based photos from the recent past, an expert told the service he had observed several deployment sites in development at the site.

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