Russia Announces Effective Trial of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Weapon

Moscow has trialed the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, according to the nation's top military official.

"We have launched a extended flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a vast distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader the general told the Russian leader in a televised meeting.

The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in 2018, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the ability to bypass defensive systems.

International analysts have in the past questioned over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "last accomplished trial" of the weapon had been held in last year, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, as per an non-proliferation organization.

The general reported the projectile was in the air for fifteen hours during the test on 21 October.

He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be up to specification, as per a local reporting service.

"As a result, it displayed superior performance to bypass defensive networks," the news agency quoted the general as saying.

The weapon's usefulness has been the focus of vigorous discussion in military and defence circles since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit determined: "A nuclear-powered cruise missile would offer Moscow a singular system with intercontinental range capability."

Yet, as an international strategic institute observed the same year, Moscow confronts major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its integration into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on resolving the substantial engineering obstacle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts stated.

"There were numerous flight-test failures, and an incident leading to multiple fatalities."

A military journal cited in the report claims the weapon has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, allowing "the missile to be deployed throughout the nation and still be able to reach goals in the American territory."

The identical publication also explains the missile can travel as low as a very low elevation above the earth, making it difficult for air defences to stop.

The missile, code-named Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is considered propelled by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have sent it into the sky.

An investigation by a media outlet recently located a location 295 miles north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from the recent past, an expert informed the agency he had observed several deployment sites under construction at the site.

Related Developments

• National Leader Approves Revisions to Strategic Guidelines