Russia Reports Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the nation's senior general.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Top Army Official the commander told the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-altitude prototype missile, initially revealed in the past decade, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to bypass defensive systems.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the weapon's military utility and Moscow's assertions of having effectively trialed it.

The head of state said that a "final successful test" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, only two had partial success since the mid-2010s, as per an arms control campaign group.

The general stated the projectile was in the air for fifteen hours during the test on 21 October.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were determined to be up to specification, based on a national news agency.

"Consequently, it demonstrated advanced abilities to evade defensive networks," the news agency reported the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the topic of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in the past decade.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank commented the identical period, the nation confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the nation's stockpile arguably hinges not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of securing the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," experts noted.

"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and an accident causing a number of casualties."

A defence publication referenced in the study states the weapon has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the weapon to be based anywhere in Russia and still be capable to target objectives in the continental US."

The corresponding source also says the projectile can fly as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, making it difficult for defensive networks to stop.

The weapon, referred to as Skyfall by an international defence pact, is considered propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the sky.

An examination by a media outlet the previous year located a facility a considerable distance from the city as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Using space-based photos from last summer, an specialist reported to the service he had observed nine horizontal launch pads in development at the site.

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