Moscow Confirms Effective Trial of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the state's leading commander.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a vast distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov informed the Russian leader in a broadcast conference.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, originally disclosed in 2018, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capability to evade anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The national leader declared that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the weapon had been carried out in the previous year, but the assertion was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had partial success since several years ago, according to an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov reported the projectile was in the atmosphere for fifteen hours during the test on 21 October.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were evaluated and were found to be complying with standards, based on a national news agency.

"Therefore, it demonstrated superior performance to evade anti-missile and aerial protection," the outlet stated the commander as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the topic of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as an international strategic institute observed the identical period, Russia faces major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the state's inventory likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," experts stated.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and an accident leading to a number of casualties."

A military journal referenced in the report states the missile has a operational radius of between a substantial span, allowing "the projectile to be based across the country and still be equipped to strike targets in the American territory."

The corresponding source also says the projectile can operate as close to the ground as a very low elevation above the surface, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to stop.

The projectile, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to engage after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the sky.

An inquiry by a reporting service recently identified a facility a considerable distance north of Moscow as the possible firing point of the missile.

Employing satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert informed the service he had observed nine horizontal launch pads in development at the location.

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