Moscow Confirms Effective Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon
Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the country's senior general.
"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the general reported to President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.
The terrain-hugging prototype missile, initially revealed in recent years, has been described as having a possible global reach and the ability to avoid anti-missile technology.
Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.
The national leader stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the weapon had been carried out in the previous year, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had limited accomplishment since several years ago, based on an non-proliferation organization.
The military leader reported the missile was in the atmosphere for fifteen hours during the trial on 21 October.
He explained the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were found to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.
"Consequently, it displayed advanced abilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the media source reported the commander as saying.
The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in the past decade.
A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a unique weapon with intercontinental range capability."
Nonetheless, as a foreign policy research organization commented the same year, Moscow faces significant challenges in achieving operational status.
"Its integration into the state's inventory likely depends not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," specialists wrote.
"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident leading to multiple fatalities."
A military journal referenced in the report states the missile has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the missile to be stationed across the country and still be capable to strike targets in the American territory."
The identical publication also says the missile can fly as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the surface, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to intercept.
The weapon, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is thought to be powered by a atomic power source, which is intended to commence operation after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the sky.
An examination by a news agency last year located a location 475km above the capital as the probable deployment area of the missile.
Utilizing space-based photos from August 2024, an expert informed the outlet he had identified nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the site.
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