Moscow Reports Effective Test of Reactor-Driven Storm Petrel Missile

Russia has tested the reactor-driven Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the state's leading commander.

"We have executed a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin in a public appearance.

The low-altitude experimental weapon, originally disclosed in 2018, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to evade defensive systems.

Foreign specialists have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having accomplished its evaluation.

The head of state stated that a "final successful test" of the weapon had been carried out in the previous year, but the statement was not externally confirmed. Of at least 13 known tests, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, as per an disarmament advocacy body.

The general stated the projectile was in the sky for a significant duration during the evaluation on 21 October.

He explained the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were determined to be meeting requirements, according to a national news agency.

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

The weapon's usefulness has been the subject of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was initially revealed in the past decade.

A 2021 report by a foreign defence research body determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would give Russia a unique weapon with worldwide reach potential."

However, as a global defence think tank commented the corresponding time, Moscow faces major obstacles in achieving operational status.

"Its induction into the country's arsenal potentially relies not only on surmounting the considerable technical challenge of guaranteeing the reliable performance of the atomic power system," analysts wrote.

"There occurred multiple unsuccessful trials, and an incident causing several deaths."

A military journal cited in the analysis asserts the missile has a range of between 10,000 and 20,000km, permitting "the projectile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be capable to target objectives in the continental US."

The corresponding source also explains the missile can operate as low as 164 to 328 feet above ground, making it difficult for air defences to intercept.

The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is believed to be powered by a atomic power source, which is intended to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the sky.

An investigation by a reporting service recently located a facility a considerable distance above the capital as the likely launch site of the weapon.

Employing orbital photographs from the recent past, an analyst informed the service he had identified nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the location.

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