Moscow Announces Effective Trial of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik long-range missile, as reported by the country's leading commander.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the general informed the head of state in a televised meeting.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to bypass missile defences.

Western experts have in the past questioned over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The head of state declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been carried out in the previous year, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, according to an arms control campaign group.

The military leader stated the missile was in the sky for 15 hours during the test on October 21.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were confirmed as up to specification, as per a local reporting service.

"Therefore, it exhibited superior performance to evade defensive networks," the outlet stated the general as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a singular system with global strike capacity."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank commented the identical period, Russia encounters major obstacles in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the country's stockpile arguably hinges not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," experts stated.

"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident resulting in multiple fatalities."

A defence publication cited in the analysis states the missile has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the missile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be able to strike objectives in the American territory."

The corresponding source also notes the weapon can travel as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for air defences to engage.

The missile, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is believed to be propelled by a reactor system, which is supposed to commence operation after initial propulsion units have propelled it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a news agency the previous year pinpointed a location a considerable distance above the capital as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from last summer, an expert reported to the service he had detected multiple firing positions in development at the site.

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