Moscow Reports Accomplished Trial of Nuclear-Powered Storm Petrel Weapon

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the country's top military official.

"We have launched a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the commander reported to President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude advanced armament, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capability to avoid defensive systems.

Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The head of state stated that a "final successful test" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, merely a pair had moderate achievement since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The general stated the weapon was in the sky for a significant duration during the trial on the specified date.

He said the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were tested and were confirmed as complying with standards, based on a national news agency.

"Consequently, it exhibited high capabilities to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency reported the general as saying.

The missile's utility has been the focus of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was first announced in 2018.

A previous study by a American military analysis unit determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would provide the nation a singular system with worldwide reach potential."

However, as a global defence think tank observed the corresponding time, the nation faces significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," analysts wrote.

"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident causing a number of casualties."

A military journal quoted in the report claims the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the projectile to be based across the country and still be equipped to reach objectives in the continental US."

The corresponding source also notes the weapon can travel as at minimal altitude as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The missile, referred to as a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is considered powered by a atomic power source, which is intended to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have launched it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet last year identified a location 475km above the capital as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Utilizing space-based photos from August 2024, an specialist reported to the service he had detected several deployment sites being built at the location.

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