Moscow Announces Effective Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Weapon
Russia has tested the atomic-propelled Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the country's top military official.
"We have launched a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.
The terrain-hugging prototype missile, originally disclosed in recent years, has been portrayed as having a possible global reach and the capacity to evade missile defences.
International analysts have in the past questioned over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.
The head of state stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been held in the previous year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had limited accomplishment since the mid-2010s, according to an non-proliferation organization.
Gen Gerasimov reported the projectile was in the sky for 15 hours during the trial on October 21.
He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be complying with standards, based on a national news agency.
"Consequently, it displayed superior performance to circumvent defensive networks," the outlet stated the official 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 foreign defence research body concluded: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a singular system with worldwide reach potential."
Yet, as a foreign policy research organization observed the same year, the nation encounters significant challenges in making the weapon viable.
"Its integration into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the nuclear-propulsion unit," specialists noted.
"There have been several flawed evaluations, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A defence publication referenced in the report claims the projectile has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the missile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be capable to target targets in the American territory."
The corresponding source also says the missile can operate as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, rendering it challenging for air defences to intercept.
The weapon, designated an operational name by an international defence pact, is believed to be driven by a reactor system, which is supposed to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have launched it into the air.
An inquiry by a news agency recently pinpointed a site a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.
Utilizing space-based photos from August 2024, an analyst reported to the agency he had identified multiple firing positions in development at the site.
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