Russia Reports Accomplished Test of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Cruise Missile

The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik long-range missile, according to the country's senior general.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traversed a 14,000km distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the general informed President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.

The low-flying prototype missile, originally disclosed in 2018, has been portrayed as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to bypass missile defences.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having effectively trialed it.

The national leader stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been carried out in 2023, but the statement lacked outside validation. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The military leader stated the missile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the test on 21 October.

He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were assessed and were confirmed as complying with standards, according to a domestic media outlet.

"Consequently, it exhibited advanced abilities to evade anti-missile and aerial protection," the outlet stated the general as saying.

The projectile's application has been the subject of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was first announced in 2018.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would offer Moscow a singular system with worldwide reach potential."

Nonetheless, as a foreign policy research organization noted the same year, Moscow confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts stated.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident causing a number of casualties."

A military journal cited in the study claims the missile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the missile to be based anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to reach goals in the continental US."

The same journal also explains the projectile can fly as at minimal altitude as a very low elevation above the earth, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to engage.

The weapon, referred to as Skyfall by a Western alliance, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is supposed to activate after initial propulsion units have launched it into the atmosphere.

An examination by a reporting service recently located a location 475km north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from the recent past, an analyst informed the outlet he had detected several deployment sites under construction at the site.

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