Moscow Confirms Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled 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 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the general told the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade defensive systems.

International analysts have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The head of state declared that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, according to an arms control campaign group.

The general said the missile was in the sky for fifteen hours during the test on the specified date.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were confirmed as meeting requirements, as per a local reporting service.

"Consequently, it displayed advanced abilities to evade defensive networks," the media source reported the general as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of heated controversy in military and defence circles since it was first announced in 2018.

A previous study by a American military analysis unit concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a unique weapon with global strike capacity."

Yet, as a foreign policy research organization noted the identical period, the nation faces considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the nation's arsenal potentially relies not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of securing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," experts noted.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and a mishap leading to multiple fatalities."

A defence publication referenced in the analysis claims the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the projectile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be able to strike objectives in the American territory."

The identical publication also explains the missile can travel as at minimal altitude as 50 to 100 metres above the earth, making it difficult for air defences to intercept.

The weapon, referred to as an operational name by a foreign security organization, is considered propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the sky.

An inquiry by a media outlet last year identified a location a considerable distance north of Moscow as the possible firing point of the missile.

Employing orbital photographs from the recent past, an specialist reported to the outlet he had identified multiple firing positions being built at the site.

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