Moscow Announces Effective Test of Atomic-Propelled Storm Petrel Missile

Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as stated by the state's leading commander.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a vast distance, which is not the maximum," Senior Military Leader the general reported to the Russian leader in a public appearance.

The terrain-hugging advanced armament, originally disclosed in recent years, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capability to avoid defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have in the past questioned over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The president stated that a "final successful test" of the missile had been conducted in the previous year, but the assertion could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had limited accomplishment since 2016, as per an disarmament advocacy body.

The general reported the weapon was in the atmosphere for a significant duration during the trial on the specified date.

He explained the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were assessed and were confirmed as meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.

"Consequently, it displayed advanced abilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the media source reported the general as saying.

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

A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with worldwide reach potential."

Yet, as a global defence think tank noted the same year, Moscow encounters significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the state's stockpile potentially relies not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the consistent operation of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts noted.

"There have been several flawed evaluations, and a mishap causing a number of casualties."

A defence publication quoted in the report claims the missile has a flight distance of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be based throughout the nation and still be able to strike targets in the American territory."

The same journal also explains the weapon can operate as low as 50 to 100 metres above the earth, causing complexity for air defences to engage.

The weapon, referred to as Skyfall by an international defence pact, is thought to be propelled by a reactor system, which is intended to engage after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the air.

An investigation by a news agency recently identified a site 475km north of Moscow as the likely launch site of the armament.

Using satellite imagery from the recent past, an analyst reported to the outlet he had detected multiple firing positions in development at the site.

Related Developments

• President Authorizes Modifications to Strategic Guidelines