Burevestnik Missile: In News
Russia’s mysterious Burevestnik cruise missile, known to NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall, recently returned to the spotlight after new research suggested the weapon may leave a trail of radioactive material in its wake as it flies.
- The Burevestnik, whose name translates as “storm petrel“, is a ground-launched, low-flying nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile.
- It was developed by Russia.
- It is the world’s first nuclear-powered cruise missile.
- It is one of six strategic weapons that the Russian President introduced in a 2018 speech.
- NATO refers to it as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall.
- 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.
- That propulsion gives it virtually unlimited range, allowing it to loiter for days, circling the enemy’s air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction.
- 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.
