Moscow Confirms Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the nation's leading commander.

"We have launched a extended flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader the general reported to the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-altitude prototype missile, originally disclosed in 2018, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capacity to bypass missile defences.

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

The head of state stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been carried out in 2023, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The general reported the missile was in the sky for a significant duration during the evaluation on 21 October.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were confirmed as complying with standards, based on a national news agency.

"Consequently, it exhibited superior performance to bypass anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency reported the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in the past decade.

A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would provide the nation a distinctive armament with intercontinental range capability."

However, as a global defence think tank observed the identical period, Russia encounters considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the nation's arsenal arguably hinges not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of ensuring the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts stated.

"There were several flawed evaluations, and an accident leading to a number of casualties."

A defence publication cited in the report states the missile has a operational radius of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the weapon to be stationed across the country and still be able to strike targets in the American territory."

The same journal also explains the projectile can operate as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, rendering it challenging for air defences to engage.

The weapon, referred to as Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is intended to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have launched it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet the previous year identified a facility 475km from the city as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Utilizing orbital photographs from last summer, an expert informed the outlet he had observed multiple firing positions under construction at the location.

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