Russia Confirms Accomplished Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile
Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, as stated by the nation's top military official.
"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it covered a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official the commander informed the head of state in a broadcast conference.
The terrain-hugging advanced armament, initially revealed in the past decade, has been described as having a theoretically endless flight path and the ability to bypass defensive systems.
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 "last accomplished trial" of the armament had been carried out in the previous year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of at least 13 known tests, only two had moderate achievement since 2016, based on an arms control campaign group.
The general reported the weapon was in the sky for fifteen hours during the evaluation on the specified date.
He said the weapon's altitude and course adjustments were assessed and were determined to be up to specification, according to a local reporting service.
"Therefore, it demonstrated advanced abilities to evade missile and air defence systems," the media source quoted the official as saying.
The missile's utility has been the topic of intense debate in military and defence circles since it was initially revealed in the past decade.
A 2021 report by a US Air Force intelligence center concluded: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a unique weapon with intercontinental range capability."
Yet, as a foreign policy research organization commented the same year, the nation confronts considerable difficulties in making the weapon viable.
"Its entry into the state's inventory arguably hinges not only on resolving the substantial engineering obstacle of ensuring the consistent operation of the atomic power system," experts noted.
"There have been multiple unsuccessful trials, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A military journal quoted in the study states the weapon has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, enabling "the projectile to be based across the country and still be capable to strike objectives in the United States mainland."
The identical publication also explains the weapon can fly as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above ground, causing complexity for air defences to intercept.
The weapon, code-named an operational name by a foreign security organization, is considered powered by a atomic power source, which is supposed to activate after primary launch mechanisms have launched it into the air.
An investigation by a media outlet the previous year located a facility 475km above the capital as the probable deployment area of the armament.
Using orbital photographs from last summer, an specialist reported to the agency he had identified several deployment sites being built at the facility.
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