Moscow Confirms Successful Test of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Missile

Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the state's top military official.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov reported to the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying prototype missile, originally disclosed in recent years, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to avoid anti-missile technology.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The president declared that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the armament had been carried out in last year, but the assertion was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had limited accomplishment since 2016, as per an disarmament advocacy body.

Gen Gerasimov reported the missile was in the sky for a significant duration during the test on October 21.

He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were confirmed as meeting requirements, as per a national news agency.

"As a result, it exhibited high capabilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the outlet stated the official as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as a foreign policy research organization noted the same year, the nation encounters major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the nation's inventory likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," specialists stated.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident leading to a number of casualties."

A military journal quoted in the report states the missile has a range of between a substantial span, allowing "the weapon to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to target goals in the American territory."

The same journal also notes the projectile can fly as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, rendering it challenging for air defences to stop.

The missile, referred to as Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is considered driven by a atomic power source, which is intended to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the sky.

An examination by a reporting service last year identified a location 475km from the city as the likely launch site of the missile.

Utilizing space-based photos from the recent past, an analyst told the outlet he had observed several deployment sites under construction at the location.

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