9M730 Burevestnik
| 9M730 Burevestnik | |
|---|---|
9M730 Burevestnik launch test on 1 March 2018 | |
| Type | Nuclear-powered cruise missile |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | Under development |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 12 m |
| Effective firing range | Unknown (not limited by fuel capacity) |
| Warhead | Thermonuclear |
The 9M730 Burevestnik (Russian: Буревестник; "Storm petrel" индекс ГРАУ — 9М730, NATO reporting name: SSC-X-9 Skyfall) is a Russian low-flying, nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile under development for the Russian Armed Forces. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile's range is effectively unlimited.
The Burevestnik is one of the six new Russian strategic weapons unveiled by Russian president Vladimir Putin on 1 March 2018. This effort bears similarity to the discontinued US Project Pluto from 1957, which although functional, was perceived as too provocative, less effective than intercontinental ballistic missiles, and presented radiological emissions that made scheduling test flights difficult.
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative in 2024, "Burevestnik has a poor test record of at least 13 known tests, with only two partial successes, since 2016". According to Russian chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the missile flew 14,000 kilometres (8,700 mi) in a 15-hour flight, averaging 75% of the speed of sound, on 21 October 2025. It is considered the first nuclear-powered missile and nuclear-powered aircraft.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range on YouTube | |
| "Burevestnik" cruise missile in a manufacturing plant on YouTube |