Russia Announces Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the nation's leading commander.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the commander reported to the Russian leader in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude advanced armament, originally disclosed in 2018, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capacity to bypass missile defences.

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

The head of state declared that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been conducted in last year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, merely a pair had partial success since several years ago, according to an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov said the missile was in the air for a significant duration during the trial on 21 October.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were found to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.

"Therefore, it displayed superior performance to bypass missile and air defence systems," the outlet reported the general as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was first announced in recent years.

A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a global defence think tank noted the identical period, Moscow confronts significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the country's inventory potentially relies not only on resolving the considerable technical challenge of guaranteeing the dependable functioning of the reactor drive mechanism," experts stated.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."

A defence publication referenced in the analysis asserts the projectile has a range of between a substantial span, permitting "the weapon to be stationed throughout the nation and still be equipped to target targets in the continental US."

The corresponding source also explains the missile can operate as close to the ground as a very low elevation above ground, rendering it challenging for aerial protection systems to stop.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to engage after initial propulsion units have sent it into the air.

An investigation by a media outlet last year located a location a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Utilizing orbital photographs from last summer, an expert told the service he had detected multiple firing positions under construction at the location.

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