Moscow Confirms Accomplished Test of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Missile
The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the country's senior general.
"We have executed a prolonged flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the commander informed the head of state in a televised meeting.
The low-flying experimental weapon, first announced in the past decade, has been described as having a possible global reach and the capacity to evade anti-missile technology.
International analysts have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.
The president declared that a "final successful test" of the armament had been conducted in 2023, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had partial success since several years ago, based on an disarmament advocacy body.
The general stated the projectile was in the sky for a significant duration during the evaluation on 21 October.
He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.
"As a result, it displayed advanced abilities to circumvent missile and air defence systems," the news agency reported the official as saying.
The projectile's application has been the topic of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in recent years.
A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a singular system with intercontinental range capability."
Nonetheless, as an international strategic institute commented the same year, Moscow confronts considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.
"Its entry into the nation's inventory potentially relies not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.
"There were several flawed evaluations, and an accident causing multiple fatalities."
A military journal referenced in the analysis states the missile has a flight distance of between a substantial span, permitting "the projectile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be able to reach targets in the United States mainland."
The corresponding source also explains the weapon can operate as low as a very low elevation above the surface, rendering it challenging for air defences to stop.
The projectile, designated an operational name by a foreign security organization, is considered powered by a atomic power source, which is intended to commence operation after initial propulsion units have propelled it into the sky.
An inquiry by a news agency recently pinpointed a facility 295 miles from the city as the likely launch site of the armament.
Employing space-based photos from the recent past, an specialist told the outlet he had observed nine horizontal launch pads in development at the location.
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