Moscow Reports Effective Evaluation of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Cruise Missile

Moscow has trialed the reactor-driven Burevestnik cruise missile, as reported by the nation's top military official.

"We have conducted a extended flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it covered a vast distance, which is not the limit," Chief of General Staff the general reported to the head of state in a broadcast conference.

The terrain-hugging prototype missile, originally disclosed in 2018, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the ability to bypass missile defences.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and the nation's statements of having effectively trialed it.

The national leader declared that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the weapon had been conducted in last year, but the claim could not be independently verified. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, only two had limited accomplishment since several years ago, based on an arms control campaign group.

The general stated the projectile was in the sky for fifteen hours during the trial on 21 October.

He noted the projectile's ascent and directional control were evaluated and were found to be complying with standards, according to a local reporting service.

"Therefore, it displayed advanced abilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the outlet reported the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the subject of heated controversy in defence and strategic sectors since it was initially revealed in 2018.

A previous study by a US Air Force intelligence center determined: "A reactor-driven long-range projectile would give Russia a distinctive armament with global strike capacity."

However, as a foreign policy research organization noted the identical period, Russia encounters significant challenges in developing a functional system.

"Its integration into the nation's arsenal potentially relies not only on surmounting the significant development hurdle of guaranteeing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," analysts stated.

"There occurred several flawed evaluations, and an incident causing multiple fatalities."

A defence publication quoted in the study asserts the projectile has a flight distance of between 10,000 and 20,000km, enabling "the weapon to be deployed anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to target targets in the continental US."

The identical publication also notes the weapon can operate as low as 50 to 100 metres above the earth, rendering it challenging for defensive networks to intercept.

The projectile, designated Skyfall by a foreign security organization, is thought to be powered by a reactor system, which is intended to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have propelled it into the sky.

An examination by a news agency recently located a site 475km from the city as the possible firing point of the weapon.

Using satellite imagery from last summer, an expert reported to the outlet he had identified multiple firing positions being built at the site.

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