Moscow Confirms Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

Moscow has trialed the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, as stated by the state's senior general.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a vast distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov reported to the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in 2018, has been portrayed as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capacity to avoid anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The national leader declared that a "final successful test" of the missile had been conducted in the previous year, but the claim 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 said the weapon was in the air for 15 hours during the trial on 21 October.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were found to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.

"Consequently, it demonstrated superior performance to circumvent defensive networks," the news agency reported the official as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the focus of heated controversy in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as a global defence think tank noted the same year, Moscow faces significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of securing the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," analysts stated.

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

A military journal referenced in the analysis states the weapon has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to reach objectives in the United States mainland."

The identical publication also says the missile can travel as low as 50 to 100 metres above ground, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to engage.

The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is believed to be propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An investigation by a reporting service last year pinpointed a location a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Utilizing satellite imagery from August 2024, an specialist informed the outlet he had detected several deployment sites under construction at the facility.

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