Russia Reports Successful Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as reported by the state's leading commander.

"We have conducted a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the general reported to the head of state in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude advanced armament, first announced in the past decade, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capacity to bypass missile defences.

Western experts have in the past questioned over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president said that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the armament had been conducted in the previous year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, only two had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov said the weapon was in the sky for fifteen hours during the test on the specified date.

He said the projectile's ascent and directional control were tested and were determined to be up to specification, based on a national news agency.

"As a result, it demonstrated superior performance to evade missile and air defence systems," the outlet quoted the official as saying.

The missile's utility has been the topic of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A previous study by a foreign defence research body stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a singular system with global strike capacity."

However, as a global defence think tank commented the identical period, Moscow faces significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the state's arsenal likely depends not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of securing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," experts noted.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and a mishap resulting in multiple fatalities."

A military journal referenced in the study claims the projectile has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the weapon to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be able to target objectives in the United States mainland."

The identical publication also notes the projectile can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, making it difficult for air defences to intercept.

The missile, designated an operational name by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to activate after initial propulsion units have launched it into the atmosphere.

An inquiry by a reporting service recently pinpointed a location 475km north of Moscow as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Using space-based photos from the recent past, an analyst reported to the agency he had detected nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the site.

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