Moscow Announces Accomplished Evaluation of Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Weapon

The nation has evaluated the atomic-propelled Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the state's top military official.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a 8,700-mile distance, which is not the ultimate range," Senior Military Leader the general informed the head of state in a public appearance.

The low-flying prototype missile, initially revealed in 2018, has been described as having a possible global reach and the ability to evade anti-missile technology.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the missile's strategic value and the nation's statements of having successfully tested it.

The president said that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the missile had been conducted in 2023, but the assertion lacked outside validation. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had moderate achievement since several years ago, based on an disarmament advocacy body.

The military leader stated the weapon was in the air for fifteen hours during the evaluation on 21 October.

He noted the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were confirmed as meeting requirements, according to a local reporting service.

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

The weapon's usefulness has been the focus of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was originally disclosed in 2018.

A recent analysis by a American military analysis unit determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with global strike capacity."

However, as a global defence think tank commented the identical period, Moscow confronts considerable difficulties in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the nation's inventory arguably hinges not only on overcoming the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the dependable functioning of the reactor drive mechanism," analysts stated.

"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an incident resulting in a number of casualties."

A defence publication quoted in the analysis claims the projectile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the missile to be based anywhere in Russia and still be able to strike objectives in the United States mainland."

The corresponding source also explains the projectile can fly as close to the ground as 164 to 328 feet above the earth, making it difficult for air defences to engage.

The weapon, designated Skyfall by a Western alliance, is thought to be powered by a reactor system, which is designed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have propelled it into the sky.

An investigation by a reporting service the previous year located a facility a considerable distance from the city as the possible firing point of the armament.

Utilizing space-based photos from the recent past, an specialist told the agency he had identified nine horizontal launch pads in development at the site.

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