Moscow Announces Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Weapon

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the country's senior general.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Top Army Official the commander informed the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying experimental weapon, originally disclosed in recent years, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capability to avoid defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.

The head of state declared that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been conducted in the previous year, but the claim lacked outside validation. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, just two instances had moderate achievement since several years ago, as per an arms control campaign group.

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

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were evaluated and were confirmed as meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.

"As a result, it demonstrated superior performance to evade defensive networks," the media source quoted the official as saying.

The projectile's application has been the focus of intense debate in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A 2021 report by a American military analysis unit stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a foreign policy research organization commented the same year, the nation encounters significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the state's inventory potentially relies not only on resolving the substantial engineering obstacle of securing the consistent operation of the nuclear-propulsion unit," specialists wrote.

"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and an incident resulting in several deaths."

A defence publication cited in the report states the projectile has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the weapon to be deployed throughout the nation and still be able to reach targets in the United States mainland."

The identical publication also explains the missile can travel as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to engage.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered propelled by a atomic power source, which is designed to engage after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the air.

An investigation by a reporting service the previous year identified a site 475km above the capital as the possible firing point of the missile.

Employing space-based photos from last summer, an expert reported to the outlet he had detected nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the location.

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