Russia Announces Effective Trial of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

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

"We have launched a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a vast distance, which is not the ultimate range," Chief of General Staff the general reported to the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The low-flying prototype missile, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to avoid missile defences.

Foreign specialists have previously cast doubt over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having accomplished its evaluation.

The president stated that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been carried out in last year, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had partial success since the mid-2010s, according to an disarmament advocacy body.

The general reported the projectile was in the air 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 complying with standards, based on a local reporting service.

"Consequently, it demonstrated superior performance to bypass defensive networks," the media source stated the official as saying.

The missile's utility has been the focus of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would give Russia a unique weapon with global strike capacity."

However, as a foreign policy research organization noted the identical period, Moscow faces major obstacles in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the nation's arsenal likely depends not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the dependable functioning of the atomic power system," specialists noted.

"There were numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap resulting in a number of casualties."

A defence publication quoted in the analysis claims the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the projectile to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to reach goals in the continental US."

The same journal also says the projectile can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above the surface, making it difficult for defensive networks to engage.

The weapon, designated an operational name by a foreign security organization, is believed to be propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is intended to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the sky.

An examination by a news agency the previous year identified a facility 295 miles north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Employing satellite imagery from last summer, an specialist told the outlet he had detected several deployment sites in development at the location.

Connected News

• National Leader Approves Amendments to Nuclear Doctrine