Moscow Confirms Successful Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik long-range missile, as stated by the state's leading commander.

"We have launched a extended flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting.

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

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been held in 2023, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had limited accomplishment since several years ago, based on an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov said the weapon was in the air for 15 hours during the test on the specified date.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be complying with standards, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it demonstrated superior performance to bypass defensive networks," the news agency stated the official as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was first announced in the past decade.

A previous study by a American military analysis unit concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

However, as a foreign policy research organization commented the corresponding time, Moscow confronts significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the state's stockpile potentially relies not only on resolving the considerable technical challenge of securing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," specialists stated.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and an incident leading to several deaths."

A defence publication referenced in the analysis claims the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the projectile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be capable to strike goals in the American territory."

The identical publication also says the missile can travel as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, referred to as an operational name by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is designed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An examination by a media outlet recently pinpointed a location 475km from the city as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Employing orbital photographs from August 2024, an expert informed the outlet he had detected several deployment sites under construction at the facility.

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