What is the Burevestnik Missile?

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What is the Burevestnik Missile? Blog Image

Overview:

President Vladimir V. Putin recently claimed that Russia had successfully tested the Burevestnik missile.

About Burevestnik Missile:

  • The Burevestnik, whose name translates as "storm petrel", is a ground-launched, low-flying cruise missile that is not only capable of carrying a nuclear warhead but is also nuclear-powered.
  • The Burevestnik is one of six strategic weapons that the Russian President introduced in a 2018 speech.
  • It is code-named ‘SSC-X-9 Skyfall’ by NATO.
  • In theory, the nuclear energy could let it fly around the world several times before hitting its target.
  • Features:
    • It is powered by a small nuclear reactor, which heats up air to propel the missile forward.
    • Its nuclear propulsion gives the missile much longer range than traditional turbojet or turbofan engines that are limited by how much fuel they can carry.
    • It has a range of up to 14,000 miles (22000 km).
    • The missile is also designed to fly at low altitudes, much lower than a conventionally powered cruise missile, which would make it harder for air-defence radar to detect.

 


Q1) What are Cruise Missiles?

Cruise missiles are unmanned vehicles that are propelled by jet engines, much like an airplane. They can be launched from ground, air, or sea platforms. Cruise missiles remain within the atmosphere for the duration of their flight and can fly as low as a few meters off the ground. Flying low to the surface of the earth expends more fuel but makes a cruise missile very difficult to detect. 

Source: Putin Claims Russia Successfully Tested a Nuclear-Powered Missile.