Moscow Reports Effective Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the state's leading commander.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov informed the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The low-altitude advanced armament, originally disclosed in 2018, has been hailed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to avoid defensive systems.

International analysts have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been held in 2023, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had partial success since the mid-2010s, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The general stated the weapon was in the sky for 15 hours during the evaluation on the specified date.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were determined to be complying with standards, as per a domestic media outlet.

"Therefore, it demonstrated high capabilities to evade defensive networks," the media source reported the official as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles 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 global strike capacity."

Yet, as an international strategic institute observed the same year, Moscow faces major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and an accident causing a number of casualties."

A military journal quoted in the study states the weapon has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the projectile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be capable to target objectives in the United States mainland."

The identical publication also notes the projectile can operate as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the earth, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, referred to as a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is considered propelled by a reactor system, which is supposed to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the sky.

An investigation by a reporting service the previous year located a facility a considerable distance north of Moscow as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Employing orbital photographs from the recent past, an specialist reported to the service he had observed several deployment sites in development at the location.

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