Moscow Announces Successful Test of Atomic-Propelled Burevestnik Weapon

Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the nation's senior general.

"We have conducted a multi-hour flight of a atomic-propelled weapon and it traveled a 14,000km distance, which is not the limit," Senior Military Leader Valery Gerasimov informed the head of state in a televised meeting.

The low-altitude prototype missile, first announced in recent years, has been described as having a potentially unlimited range and the capacity to avoid anti-missile technology.

International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the weapon's military utility and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.

The national leader said that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the weapon had been carried out in last year, but the claim was not externally confirmed. Of a minimum of thirteen documented trials, just two instances had limited accomplishment since the mid-2010s, according to an arms control campaign group.

Gen Gerasimov stated the projectile was in the sky for 15 hours during the trial on October 21.

He said the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were evaluated and were confirmed as complying with standards, as per a domestic media outlet.

"Consequently, it demonstrated advanced abilities to bypass missile and air defence systems," the news agency reported the commander as saying.

The missile's utility has been the subject of heated controversy in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in recent years.

A recent analysis by a US Air Force intelligence center stated: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would provide the nation a singular system with intercontinental range capability."

Nonetheless, as a global defence think tank observed the identical period, the nation encounters significant challenges in making the weapon viable.

"Its entry into the nation's arsenal arguably hinges not only on overcoming the significant development hurdle of ensuring the reliable performance of the atomic power system," specialists wrote.

"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and an accident causing multiple fatalities."

A military journal quoted in the study claims the projectile has a range of between 6,200 and 12,400 miles, permitting "the missile to be stationed anywhere in Russia and still be equipped to reach objectives in the American territory."

The same journal also notes the missile can fly as at minimal altitude as 164 to 328 feet above the surface, making it difficult for aerial protection systems to stop.

The weapon, code-named Skyfall by a Western alliance, is believed to be driven by a reactor system, which is supposed to commence operation after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the air.

An investigation by a reporting service recently located a facility a considerable distance from the city as the likely launch site of the missile.

Utilizing space-based photos from the recent past, an analyst told the agency he had detected nine horizontal launch pads under construction at the site.

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