Moscow Announces Accomplished Test of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Missile

Russia has tested the reactor-driven Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the country's top military official.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-flying advanced armament, initially revealed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the capacity to bypass anti-missile technology.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been conducted in last year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had limited accomplishment since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The military leader reported the missile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the trial on the specified date.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were found to be complying with standards, according to a domestic media outlet.

"Therefore, it displayed superior performance to circumvent missile and air defence systems," the outlet stated the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the subject of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was first announced in recent years.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

However, as an international strategic institute observed the corresponding time, the nation faces significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the country's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the nuclear-propulsion unit," specialists stated.

"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and an accident causing several deaths."

A defence publication referenced in the study claims the projectile has a range of between a substantial span, allowing "the missile to be stationed across the country and still be able to target objectives in the continental US."

The same journal also notes the weapon can fly as low as 50 to 100 metres above ground, causing complexity for defensive networks to engage.

The missile, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is thought to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the sky.

An investigation by a reporting service recently identified a site 475km above the capital as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Utilizing satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert informed the agency he had observed several deployment sites being built at the facility.

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