Russia’s nuclear missiles can now reach targets in US; enemies won’t survive, says President Vladimir Putin
Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! Its other noteworthy feature is its ability to fly at remarkably low altitudes of 50-100 metres. Such a trait makes it a stealthy contender, evading air-defence radars with relative ease. The United States Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center, back in 2020, opined that this missile, once operational, would offer Moscow a "unique weapon with intercontinental-range capability", Reuters added.
However, the journey of the 'Storm Petrel' hasn't been without challenges. Historical data points towards test failures. Most notably, in 2019, an explosion during an experimental procedure in the White Sea resulted in the tragic loss of five Russian nuclear specialists.
Although not officially confirmed, whispers among US intelligence circles speculated this to be a test for the Burevestnik. For some time, the West was sceptical about the missile's actual deployment. The Nuclear Threat Initiative, a security organisation, once predicted in 2019 that the Burevestnik might take a decade before seeing deployment.
This missile's ability to stay airborne for extended periods, potentially days, could revolutionise nuclear strategy, circumnavigating the globe, evading defences, and striking unpredictably. The recent advancements in Russian strategic systems might pose complexities in Moscow-Washington talks on nuclear weapons limits, according to Reuters. Russia, earlier this year, took a step back from the New START treaty, which seeks to cap nuclear arsenals and is set to lapse in 2026.
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