Moscow Announces Successful Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Weapon
The nation has evaluated the nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the country's senior general.
"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile and it traveled a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the commander told President Vladimir Putin in a broadcast conference.
The low-altitude prototype missile, initially revealed in recent years, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to bypass defensive systems.
Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and Moscow's assertions of having successfully tested it.
The national leader stated that a "final successful test" of the armament had been conducted in last year, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had limited accomplishment since 2016, according to an non-proliferation organization.
Gen Gerasimov reported the weapon was in the air for 15 hours during the test on October 21.
He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were confirmed as complying with standards, as per a local reporting service.
"Consequently, it demonstrated advanced abilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the outlet reported the official as saying.
The weapon's usefulness has been the topic of vigorous discussion in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in the past decade.
A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."
Yet, as an international strategic institute commented the identical period, Russia encounters significant challenges in achieving operational status.
"Its integration into the country's arsenal potentially relies not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists stated.
"There occurred numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A military journal referenced in the study asserts the weapon has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be able to target targets in the American territory."
The corresponding source also explains the missile can fly as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above ground, causing complexity for aerial protection systems to engage.
The missile, designated an operational name by a foreign security organization, is thought to be powered by a nuclear reactor, which is designed to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the sky.
An inquiry by a reporting service recently located a facility 295 miles from the city as the likely launch site of the weapon.
Employing satellite imagery from the recent past, an analyst reported to the outlet he had identified several deployment sites being built at the facility.
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