Russia Reports Accomplished Trial of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Missile
Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the nation's senior general.
"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the commander reported to the Russian leader in a broadcast conference.
The low-altitude prototype missile, first announced in the past decade, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to avoid missile defences.
Western experts have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.
The head of state stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been conducted in last year, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had partial success since 2016, as per an disarmament advocacy body.
The military leader stated the weapon was in the sky for fifteen hours during the test on October 21.
He explained the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were tested and were determined to be complying with standards, as per a national news agency.
"As a result, it exhibited high capabilities to circumvent anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency quoted the official as saying.
The projectile's application has been the focus of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in 2018.
A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."
Yet, as a global defence think tank observed the corresponding time, Moscow encounters major obstacles in making the weapon viable.
"Its integration into the country's arsenal likely depends not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," analysts noted.
"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident resulting in multiple fatalities."
A armed forces periodical cited in the report claims the projectile has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the missile to be deployed across the country and still be able to reach targets in the United States mainland."
The same journal also notes the missile can fly as low as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, causing complexity for air defences to intercept.
The missile, designated a specific moniker by a Western alliance, is thought to be propelled by a atomic power source, which is designed to activate after initial propulsion units have propelled it into the air.
An investigation by a reporting service the previous year located a site 295 miles north of Moscow as the possible firing point of the missile.
Utilizing orbital photographs from August 2024, an expert told the service he had observed several deployment sites under construction at the location.
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