Roger Denham, Research Analyst/Writer TCO Intelligence 10-06-23
Putin noted that at the moment the last successful test of the Burevestnik has been conducted.
“Now we have almost finished working on modern types of strategic weapons, which I spoke about and which I announced a few years ago. The latest successful test of a global — range cruise missile with a nuclear engine, the Burevestnik, was conducted, ” he said.
For the first time, the Russian president spoke about Burevestnik in March 2018. Then he said that the new weapons can ensure a strategic balance in the world for decades to come. According to the head of state, the range of the missile is not limited, and the flight path can be unpredictable, so it is invulnerable “both to all existing and prospective missile defense and air defense systems.”
Burevestnik is an intercontinental cruise missile of almost unlimited range with a nuclear power plant. It is capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.
The missile will receive a nuclear charge of “tens or hundreds of megatons” and almost unlimited flight time and range. Another unique feature of it can be stealth.
Col. Michael Clark at TCO Intelligence in Israel said “The missle’s design allows it to hit strategic targets, without being stopped, like important cities, industrial centers of a potential enemy, and with a thermonuclear charge. I believe it was designed purposely for EMP detonations because we are talking about a capacity of tens or hundreds of megatons, and the updated SARMAT missle just came online. ” he said.
Military expert Alexey Leonkov in an interview with NEWS.ru he called it “the Petrel”, “a weapon of retribution that is worth being afraid of.” He believes that the main task of the cruise missile will be to finish off the enemy’s civilian and military infrastructure centers that remained after the exchange of nuclear strikes.
“It is used when the two sides have already exchanged nuclear strikes and launched intercontinental ballistic missiles and mobile ground — based systems,” Leonkov said.
According to him, “Petrel” is able to bypass the surviving zones of air and missile defense, and can also work in tandem with a nuclear torpedo ” Poseidon — – the first warhead can be directed at targets on land, and the second — at objects along the coastline.
“Thus, the task will be successfully completed to reach the point and hit the target with a charge that will be installed on board. It is supposed to be a nuclear projectile with a capacity of about 100 kilotons, I assume. It is quite enough to destroy a large command center, a bunker, ” the expert said.
According to TCO Intelligence’ Col. Michael Clark, “The Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile does not need such carriers as an airplane or a submarine due to its range. It will be based underground or on a ground-based mobile installation and it’s ability to produce an EMP above the earth is far ahead of anything the rest of the world has at this time.”
“It is unlikely that such a complex will be installed on an aircraft, even a strategic missile carrier, or on a nuclear-powered submarine, on a surface ship. There is no need for carriers due to the unlimited flight range, so most likely, either mines or a mobile installation — a ground-based ground complex that increases the invulnerability of the rocket, ” he suggested.
According to Sukonkin, the Burevestnik tests are being conducted on Novaya Zemlya, and TCO Intel confirmed the operations there.
“I will assume that yes, it is indeed possible to test the Burevestnik rocket with a nuclear power plant on Novaya Zemlya. We have, as you may remember, a nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya, it was not disbanded. Why then would it need to be maintained?” – Col. Clark pointed out in a conversation with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
TCO Intelligence Group 