Moscow Reports Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the state's top military official.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official the general informed President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting.

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

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The president declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been carried out in last year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had limited accomplishment since several years ago, based on an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov stated the weapon was in the atmosphere for 15 hours during the test on 21 October.

He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were determined to be complying with standards, as per a domestic media outlet.

"As a result, it exhibited high capabilities to circumvent missile and air defence systems," the news agency stated the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the focus of heated controversy in armed forces and security communities since it was first announced in 2018.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

Nonetheless, as an international strategic institute observed the corresponding time, Russia faces significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the state's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the substantial engineering obstacle of securing the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts stated.

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

A defence publication quoted in the report claims the weapon has a range of between a substantial span, allowing "the missile to be based throughout the nation and still be equipped to strike goals in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also explains the projectile can travel as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to engage.

The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is considered powered by a reactor system, which is supposed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have propelled it into the air.

An investigation by a reporting service last year identified a facility 295 miles from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Employing satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert reported to the agency he had identified nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the site.

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