Russia Announces Accomplished Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Weapon

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the state's top military official.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov reported to the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-flying prototype missile, first announced in the past decade, has been portrayed as having a theoretically endless flight path and the capability to evade anti-missile technology.

Western experts have previously cast doubt over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been carried out in last year, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since 2016, according to an non-proliferation organization.

Gen Gerasimov said the missile was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the test on October 21.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were found to be meeting requirements, as per a national news agency.

"As a result, it exhibited superior performance to bypass defensive networks," the media source quoted the commander as saying.

The projectile's application has been the topic of intense debate in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would provide the nation a singular system with intercontinental range capability."

However, as an international strategic institute commented the same year, Moscow encounters considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its entry into the nation's stockpile likely depends not only on resolving the significant development hurdle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the reactor drive mechanism," experts stated.

"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap resulting in a number of casualties."

A defence publication cited in the report states the missile has a operational radius of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the projectile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be equipped to reach targets in the American territory."

The corresponding source also explains the missile can travel as low as a very low elevation above the surface, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to intercept.

The weapon, referred to as an operational name by an international defence pact, is considered driven by a reactor system, which is designed to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the air.

An inquiry by a media outlet recently located a facility a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Utilizing satellite imagery from last summer, an specialist reported to the agency he had detected multiple firing positions in development at the location.

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