Russia Confirms Successful Trial of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the nation's senior general.

"We have launched a prolonged flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Chief of General Staff the commander informed the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-altitude prototype missile, initially revealed in recent years, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to avoid missile defences.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having accomplished its evaluation.

The national leader stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been conducted in 2023, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, based on an non-proliferation organization.

The military leader reported the projectile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the evaluation on the specified date.

He said the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were confirmed as complying with standards, based on a local reporting service.

"Consequently, it demonstrated high capabilities to evade anti-missile and aerial protection," the outlet stated the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the focus of heated controversy in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank commented the identical period, the nation confronts considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.

"Its integration into the country's stockpile likely depends not only on surmounting the considerable technical challenge of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the nuclear-propulsion unit," analysts noted.

"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident causing multiple fatalities."

A defence publication cited in the analysis states the missile has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, allowing "the missile to be based anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to target goals in the American territory."

The same journal also says the projectile can travel as low as 50 to 100 metres above ground, causing complexity for defensive networks to engage.

The projectile, code-named a specific moniker by a foreign security organization, is believed to be propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the atmosphere.

An investigation by a media outlet the previous year identified a facility 295 miles north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Using space-based photos from last summer, an specialist informed the outlet he had identified nine horizontal launch pads in development at the facility.

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