Moscow Confirms Successful Test of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Cruise Missile
The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the nation's senior general.
"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Top Army Official the general told the Russian leader in a public appearance.
The low-altitude experimental weapon, first announced in 2018, has been portrayed as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to evade anti-missile technology.
International analysts have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.
The national leader stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the missile had been conducted in the previous year, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since several years ago, based on an non-proliferation organization.
Gen Gerasimov stated the weapon was in the atmosphere for 15 hours during the test on October 21.
He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were tested and were confirmed as meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.
"Consequently, it demonstrated high capabilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the outlet stated the commander as saying.
The weapon's usefulness has been the topic of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was first announced in recent years.
A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a unique weapon with global strike capacity."
Yet, as a global defence think tank observed the identical period, the nation faces significant challenges in making the weapon viable.
"Its induction into the nation's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," experts noted.
"There were several flawed evaluations, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A armed forces periodical referenced in the study asserts the missile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be stationed across the country and still be equipped to strike goals in the continental US."
The identical publication also says the weapon can travel as close to the ground as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, rendering it challenging for aerial protection systems to intercept.
The weapon, referred to as a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is thought to be propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have sent it into the atmosphere.
An inquiry by a reporting service recently identified a facility a considerable distance above the capital as the probable deployment area of the weapon.
Employing orbital photographs from the recent past, an specialist informed the outlet he had detected several deployment sites being built at the site.
Associated Updates
- Head of State Endorses Revisions to Nuclear Doctrine