Russia Reports Accomplished Trial of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Cruise Missile
The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the state's top military official.
"We have launched a prolonged flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov reported to the head of state in a televised meeting.
The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to evade anti-missile technology.
Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having accomplished its evaluation.
The national leader stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had partial success since 2016, as per an arms control campaign group.
The general said the projectile was in the sky for a significant duration during the evaluation on the specified date.
He said the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were determined to be up to specification, as per a domestic media outlet.
"Consequently, it demonstrated high capabilities to bypass defensive networks," the outlet stated the general as saying.
The missile's utility has been the focus of heated controversy in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in recent years.
A recent analysis by a foreign defence research body stated: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would give Russia a singular system with global strike capacity."
Yet, as a foreign policy research organization noted the corresponding time, Russia faces major obstacles in developing a functional system.
"Its integration into the nation's arsenal potentially relies not only on overcoming the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," analysts stated.
"There were multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident causing multiple fatalities."
A defence publication cited in the report claims the weapon has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to strike objectives in the United States mainland."
The corresponding source also says the missile can fly as low as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, rendering it challenging for air defences to stop.
The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is thought to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to engage after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the atmosphere.
An examination by a news agency recently identified a location 295 miles north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the armament.
Using orbital photographs from August 2024, an specialist told the outlet he had identified several deployment sites under construction at the location.
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