Moscow Announces Successful Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Missile
Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the nation's top military official.
"We have launched a extended flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the maximum," Chief of General Staff the general told the head of state in a public appearance.
The low-altitude experimental weapon, originally disclosed in 2018, 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 the nation's statements of having successfully tested it.
The national leader said that a "last accomplished trial" of the missile had been held in the previous year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an arms control campaign group.
The general said the weapon was in the atmosphere for fifteen hours during the trial on the specified date.
He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were confirmed as meeting requirements, based on a domestic media outlet.
"Consequently, it displayed high capabilities to circumvent anti-missile and aerial protection," the news agency quoted the general as saying.
The projectile's application has been the focus of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in recent years.
A previous study by a foreign defence research body stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."
However, as a global defence think tank noted the same year, Moscow encounters major obstacles in making the weapon viable.
"Its integration into the nation's arsenal potentially relies not only on resolving the considerable technical challenge of securing the reliable performance of the nuclear-propulsion unit," specialists wrote.
"There were several flawed evaluations, and a mishap causing multiple fatalities."
A armed forces periodical quoted in the analysis claims the weapon has a range of between a substantial span, allowing "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to strike objectives in the American territory."
The same journal also notes the weapon can operate as at minimal altitude as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to stop.
The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to engage after initial propulsion units have launched it into the air.
An investigation by a news agency recently identified a location 475km from the city as the probable deployment area of the weapon.
Utilizing satellite imagery from the recent past, an analyst reported to the service he had detected nine horizontal launch pads in development at the location.
Related Developments
- National Leader Approves Amendments to Atomic Policy
