President of Russia Vladimir Putin and General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces

President of Russia Vladimir Putin recently visited and chaired a meeting attended by General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and commanders of the Northern Army Group. Gerasimov reported to Putin that the Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile "Burevestnik" has completed critical tests.

According to reports, the "Burevestnik" test conducted a week ago demonstrated that the missile had flown 14,000 kilometers, which is not its limit; previous reports indicated that its range could exceed 20,000 kilometers. During the test, "Burevestnik" performed the required vertical and horizontal maneuvers during flight, demonstrating strong capabilities to evade air defense and anti-missile systems. Therefore, Gerasimov provided Putin with detailed information about the results of the test.

Putin pointed out that the nuclear-powered cruise missile is a unique strategic weapon. Currently, the Russian military needs to start deploying "Burevestnik," determine its combat level and potential use, and prepare the necessary infrastructure for its service. Putin emphasized that although "Burevestnik" has completed critical testing, a lot of subsequent work is still needed before it can be put into use. He also stated that nuclear-powered cruise missiles are unique in the world, and no other country has similar weapons.

"Burevestnik" was jointly developed by the "Novator" design bureau and the All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics under Rosatom. Its Russian designation is 9M730, NATO designation SSC-X-9, and it is nicknamed "Skyfall." Western intelligence agencies claim that Russia started related development work as early as 2001; in 2018, Putin first announced six new weapon systems, including "Burevestnik," in his state of the nation address. Reports from 2017 showed that Russia began testing "Burevestnik"; on October 5, 2023, Putin announced the successful test of "Burevestnik," indicating that the development was nearing completion. This time, Putin announced that "Burevestnik" has completed critical testing and is about to enter the preparation phase for service.

Russian "Burevestnik" missile test

Russian media disclosed performance parameters of "Burevestnik" include a speed of approximately 850–1300 km/h, a cruising altitude of 25–100 meters, and an experimental range exceeding 14,000 kilometers. The warhead can use a conventional warhead or a nuclear warhead with an equivalent of up to 250,000 tons of TNT.

Regarding the nuclear power unit, there are still many unknowns. It is known that its propulsion consists of a booster and a cruise nuclear power unit. According to previous test videos and photos, "Burevestnik" is boosted by solid rocket to a certain height and speed, then the cruise nuclear power unit is activated. There are mainly two types of small-scale nuclear power schemes for missiles: one is a micro nuclear reactor, and the other is a nuclear jet engine. In terms of technical difficulty, the micro nuclear reactor is obviously more difficult than the nuclear jet engine. Previously, it was generally believed that "Burevestnik" used a nuclear jet engine, but Putin's statement suggests that the possibility of using a micro nuclear reactor also exists.

The development of "Burevestnik" aims to break through the US air defense and anti-missile system. The almost unlimited endurance provided by the nuclear power gives "Burevestnik" significant penetration advantages: it does not need to worry about range, can re-plan its route during flight, bypassing the defense area, and strike the United States or its overseas bases. Unless the United States can deploy air defense and anti-missile systems globally without any blind spots, there will always be areas where "Burevestnik" can pass through. At the same time, "Burevestnik" can loiter in the air for several days or even weeks, choosing the right moment to hit the target, thus giving the decision of "when to fall" to the highest command level, significantly enhancing strategic flexibility.

Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile "Burevestnik"

Western military analysts believe that after adopting nuclear power, even without talking about penetration, the existence of "Burevestnik" itself would cause great concern for the intercepting party. If an interception is carried out, once the missile is shot down and the nuclear power unit is damaged, it may cause widespread nuclear pollution, making the cost of interception very high, thus creating a "mouse fear effect."

Evidently, once "Burevestnik" is deployed, it will enhance Russia's strategic deterrence and long-range strike capability, causing more headaches for the United States and NATO. Cypriot journalist Alex Christopher pointed out that when NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made a loud declaration that Putin's resources and military strength were about to run out, Putin responded with "Burevestnik," effectively countering the relevant arguments.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566895138417443371/

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