Russia has announced that it has successfully tested the 9M730 Burevestnik(NATO code name SSC-X-9 Skyfall), a cruise missile with an unlimited range and nuclear warhead, which it claims to take its nuclear deterrence capacity to the next level. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 26 October that the test would be followed by the deployment of the missile. Moscow describes this ammunition as a unique weapon that no existing or future defence system can intercept.
Virtually Unlimited Range and Unpredictable Flight
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to Putin that the missile travelled a distance of 14,000 kilometres (~8,700 miles) and remained in the air for about 15 hours during the last test on 21 October. Gerasimov stated that this test was different from previous tests because it proved that the missile flew with nuclear energy and performed a very long flight.
Russia argues that the Burevestnik missile has an almost unlimited range thanks to these features and that no defence system can intercept it due to its unpredictable flight profile. “This is a unique weapon that no other country in the world has,” Putin said in announcing the missile’s firing test, sending a strong message to both the West and US President Donald Trump.
Advanced Technology Based on Cold War Concept
First announced by Putin in 2018, the Burevestnik is described as a response to the US withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001 and the expansion of NATO. In terms of concept and design, the missile reflects Cold War-era projects (in particular the Project Pluto concept of the US Air Force).
According to open source data, Burevestnik was designed as a second-strike missile. It is estimated that the missile uses a solid-fuelled rocket motor to reach take-off speed, and then travels towards the target with the help of a small nuclear reactor. The missile is expected to fly at sub-supersonic speeds and remain at low altitudes of 50-100 metres for most of its flight, making radar detection difficult. Following the completion of the critical tests, Putin instructed Gerasimov to prepare the necessary infrastructure for the classification and deployment of the missile.
