Moscow Confirms Successful Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the state's leading commander.

"We have launched a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the commander informed President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, first announced in the past decade, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the ability to evade anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the weapon's military utility and the nation's statements of having accomplished its evaluation.

The head of state stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been held in last year, but the claim lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The general reported the weapon was in the atmosphere for fifteen hours during the trial on the specified date.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were confirmed as meeting requirements, according to a local reporting service.

"Therefore, it displayed advanced abilities to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the media source stated the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in the past decade.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a unique weapon with intercontinental range capability."

However, as an international strategic institute noted the identical period, the nation faces considerable difficulties in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the nation's inventory potentially relies not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," analysts noted.

"There were numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap resulting in several deaths."

A military journal quoted in the report claims the weapon has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the weapon to be deployed across the country and still be equipped to strike objectives in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also explains the projectile can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, making it difficult for defensive networks to engage.

The projectile, designated an operational name by a foreign security organization, is believed to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet recently located a site a considerable distance above the capital as the probable deployment area of the missile.

Utilizing orbital photographs from last summer, an specialist told the agency he had detected nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the location.

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