Moscow Announces Accomplished Test of Reactor-Driven Burevestnik Weapon
Russia has tested the nuclear-powered Burevestnik strategic weapon, according to the nation's leading commander.
"We have conducted a extended flight of a reactor-driven projectile and it traversed a vast distance, which is not the limit," Top Army Official the commander told the Russian leader in a televised meeting.
The low-flying advanced armament, first announced in recent years, has been hailed as having a possible global reach and the capability to avoid defensive systems.
International analysts have earlier expressed skepticism over the projectile's tactical importance and Russian claims of having successfully tested it.
The head of state stated that a "concluding effective evaluation" of the armament had been carried out in last year, but the statement could not be independently verified. Of over a dozen recorded evaluations, just two instances had moderate achievement since the mid-2010s, based on an non-proliferation organization.
The general stated the missile was in the sky for a significant duration during the test on October 21.
He noted the missile's vertical and horizontal manoeuvring were tested and were found to be meeting requirements, based on a national news agency.
"Therefore, it displayed superior performance to evade missile and air defence systems," the media source quoted the official as saying.
The projectile's application has been the topic of vigorous discussion in armed forces and security communities since it was originally disclosed in recent years.
A previous study by a American military analysis unit determined: "An atomic-propelled strategic weapon would offer Moscow a unique weapon with global strike capacity."
Nonetheless, as an international strategic institute commented the same year, Russia faces considerable difficulties in achieving operational status.
"Its integration into the state's arsenal likely depends not only on surmounting the substantial engineering obstacle of securing the consistent operation of the atomic power system," experts stated.
"There have been numerous flight-test failures, and a mishap leading to a number of casualties."
A military journal referenced in the study claims the projectile has a range of between a substantial span, permitting "the missile to be deployed across the country and still be equipped to strike goals in the continental US."
The identical publication also notes the weapon can travel as close to the ground as 50 to 100 metres above ground, rendering it challenging for aerial protection systems to stop.
The projectile, referred to as a specific moniker by an international defence pact, is thought to be propelled by a reactor system, which is designed to engage after primary launch mechanisms have sent it into the air.
An examination by a news agency recently located a facility 295 miles above the capital as the probable deployment area of the armament.
Using space-based photos from the recent past, an specialist reported to the outlet he had identified several deployment sites being built at the site.
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