Russia Announces Accomplished Test of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Missile

The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the country's top military official.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Top Army Official the general told the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in recent years, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to evade defensive systems.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The head of state said that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been carried out in 2023, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, merely a pair had partial success since the mid-2010s, according to an non-proliferation organization.

The general reported the projectile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the trial on the specified date.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were found to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.

"Consequently, it displayed superior performance to bypass defensive networks," the news agency reported the commander 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 foreign defence research body stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as an international strategic institute observed the identical period, Moscow encounters significant challenges in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on surmounting the considerable technical challenge of securing the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," experts wrote.

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

A armed forces periodical quoted in the report asserts the missile has a flight distance of between a substantial span, allowing "the projectile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to reach targets in the continental US."

The identical publication also says the weapon can operate as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, rendering it challenging for air defences to intercept.

The projectile, referred to as Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is thought to be driven by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to engage after initial propulsion units have sent it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a media outlet recently identified a facility 475km above the capital as the probable deployment area of the weapon.

Using orbital photographs from August 2024, an specialist told the service he had detected nine horizontal launch pads being built at the location.

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