MOSCOW, Oct. 26– Russia has completed the decisive tests of its Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.
“Much work remains to be done to put these weapons on combat duty … Nevertheless, the key objectives have now been achieved,” Putin said during a meeting with military commanders.
In his briefing with Putin, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said the Burevestnik missile completed a 14,000-km test flight that lasted around 15 hours on Tuesday, adding that the range could be longer.
The test demonstrated the missile’s “high capabilities for evading anti-missile and air defense systems,” Gerasimov said.
The 9M730 Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), dubbed SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO, is a Russian low-flying, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile.
It is said to have unlimited range and can evade missile defenses. (Xinhua)
