Russia Has Successfully Tested A New Submarine Based Bulava Intercontinental Missile

Night Set Alight As Russian Sub Test-Launches Bulava Missile -- RT

Russia’s second Borey-class nuclear submarine test-fired a strategic Bulava intercontinental missile. The night blast-off from a submerged boat was the first successful SLBM launch for the Aleksandr Nevsky.

The K-550 Aleksandr Nevsky is the second Borey-class submarine, the new generation of boats carrying Bulava nuclear missiles. It has undergone modifications based on trials of the head submarine of the class, the Yury Dolgoruky, so its capability to fire the designated weapon is of paramount interest to the Russian Navy.

The missile was fired from a submerged submarine on Saturday morning from the Barents Sea, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported. The missile’s warheads reached the Kura test range in Kamchatka in the Far East.

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More News On Russia Successfully Testing A New Submarine Based Bulava Intercontinental Missile

Bulava inter-continental ballistic missile test-launched from nuclear submarine in Barents Sea -- ITAR-TASS
Russia Test-Launches Bulava Sea-Based Ballistic Missile -- Sputnik
Russian submarine test-launches Bulava intercontinental missile -- Reuters
Russia Test-Fires New 'Bulava' Intercontinental Ballistic Missile -- AP
Russia Tests New Sub-Launched Missile -- VOA
Russian submarine tests new missile designed to carry nuclear warheads -- Washington Times

Russia`s Bulava Nuclear Missile Ready To Deploy

Medvedev: Test Of Much-Heralded New Missile Done -- Sacramento Bee/AP

MOSCOW -- A ballistic missile that is to be a cornerstone of Russia's nuclear arsenal has completed its rocky test program and will be commissioned by the military, President Dmitry Medvedev announced Tuesday during a meeting with military officers.

The Bulava ICBM, intended to arm a new generation of nuclear submarines, is a three-stage missile that can carry up to 10 individually targeted warheads at a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles).

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More News On The Bulava Missile

Bulava missile ready to deploy -- RIA Novoati
Tests of Russia’s nuclear-capable Bulava missile complete after a rocky run, Medvedev says -- Washington Post/AP
Russian sub-launched missile in service -- UPI
Russia Adds Bulava Missile to Nuclear Arsenal -- Voice of America
Russia to deploy new Bulava ballistic missiles with navy: Medvedev -- Xinhuanet
Tests concluded, Bulava ballistic missiles will enter into service -- Avionews

Russia Successfully Tests It's Bulava Missile

Russian Submarine Test-Fires Bulava Missile Successfully -- RIA Novosti

Russian Navy successfully test-fired an experimental Bulava (SS-N-X-30) intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday from its Yury Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea, the Defense Ministry said.

“Today as part of the state trials program, a successful routine test took place of a Bulava ICBM from the Yury Dolgoruky submarine,” the Navy said.

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More News On Russia Successfully Testing It's Bulava Missile

Russia says nuclear missile test a success -- Reuters
Successful test launch for Russia’s Bulava missile -- RT
Russia test-fires missile from submarine -- UPI
Russian Bulava Missile Hits Target in Trial -- Global Security Newswire
Russia successfully tests Bulava ballistic missile -- AP
Bulava missile visible from Norway -- Barents Observer

Russia Successfully Test-Fires New Ballistic Missile

Bulava missile. © RIA Novosti/Avrora

Russian Military Successfully Test-Fires New Ballistic Missile -- Washington Post/AP

MOSCOW — Russia’s Defense Ministry says the navy has successfully test-fired an advanced ballistic missile from a new-generation nuclear submarine.

Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov says the Bulava missile was launched from under the water in the White Sea that separates Russia from Scandinavia. He says its warheads reached the Kura testing range on the Pacific Kamchatka Peninsula, some 5,500 kilometers (3,500 miles) away.

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Update #1: Russia test fires troubled Bulava missile after 8-month break -- RIA Novosti
Update #2: Bulava Trial Launch Proceeds as Planned -- Global Security Newswire

My Comment: After years of problems and delays, it appears that Russia has worked out the kinks in their Bulava SLBM missile program.

Russian Bulava Missile Launches To Resume June 28

Bulava launches to resume June 28 - source © RIA Novosti. Mikhail Fomichev

Bulava Launches To Resume June 28 - Source -- RIA Novosti

A new test launch of Russia's troubled Bulava missile will be staged on June 28, a Russian Defense Ministry source said on Sunday.

Despite several previous failures, officially blamed on manufacturing defects, the Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it is ready for service with the Navy.

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My Comment: It's good to know that the U.S. is not the only country that has "lemon's" in it's defense research/development/procurement programs.

Russia Continues To Modernize Their Nuclear Forces

Russia's troubled Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile. © Сollage by RIA Novosti

Russia Set To Fire Another Bulava Missile -- Global Security Newswire

Russia plans later this week to conduct a new trial flight of its experimental Bulava submarine-based ballistic missile, Interfax reported (see GSN, Oct. 12).

"Over the next few days the state commission is expected to confirm the date for the next, 14th launch of the missile from the [ballistic-missile submarine Dmitry Donskoy]. The test is expected to be carried out on Oct. 29-30," said an official with the Russian navy's main office.

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More News On Russia's Bulava Missile Program

Next Bulava missile test scheduled October 29 -- RIA Novosti
Next Bulava launch scheduled for October 29 -- Barents Observer
Official confirms preparations for another Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile test -- Itar Tass
Russia plans to produce 150 Bulava missiles before 2020 -- Xinhuanet
Russia to produce 150 Bulava missiles before 2020 - expert -- RIA Novosti

Russian Missile Test Successful

Bulava. © Screenshot: «Вести.Ru»

Russia's Bulava Missile Succeeds in Trial Launch -- Global Security Newswire

Russia's experimental Bulava submarine-based ballistic missile in a test today delivered its payload to a target on the Kamchatka Peninsula, breaking a string of test failures involving the planned lynchpin of Moscow's future sea-based nuclear deterrent, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Oct. 5).

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More News On The Successful Test Of Russia's Bulava Missile

Bulava's new launch: 13 proved to be a lucky number -- Voice of Russia
Russia: Missile Test Successful -- Voice of America
Russia successfully tests long-range missile -- AFP
Russian military successfully tests new missile -- AP
Russian army may be equipped with Bulava missile by 2011 -- Voice of Russia

Russia Might Abandon Bulava Missile If Failures Continue

From Global Security Newswire:

Russia's might mothball its troubled Bulava nuclear-missile project if the weapon continues to fail in testing, Reuters reported today (see GSN, Aug. 4).

The long-range, submarine-launched Bulava has been the subject of much internal debate since failing its sixth test in 11 tries last month. The botched flight prompted the resignation of a leading Russian missile design official and possibly the discharge of the head of the Russian military's strategic missile forces.

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More News On Bulava's Missile Development

Russia could scrap troubled sea missile: report -- Reuters
Russian submarine designer certain of Bulava missile success -- RIA Novosti
“Bulava” missiles might be replaced by “Sineva” -- Barents Observer
Rubin design bureau official: tests of Bulava missile system will be successful -- Kyiv Post

My Comment: This is a major setback.

Bulava SLBM

From Strategy Page:

Despite several successful tests in the last two years, and the decision to put its new Bulava SLBMs (Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles) into production, Russia just announced that several more tests would be performed before the missile was actually put into service.

Despite the many test failures, the Russians were confident in the basic technology in the Bulava. They knew there would be test failures, and believed they were facing no more problems that the two most recent U.S. SLBMs. These had had a 13 percent (23 tests of the Trident I) and two percent (49 tests of Trident II) failure rate. What did make many Russians nervous was the fact that the Bulava is replacement for an earlier SLBM that had to be cancelled during development because of too many test failures, and too many design and equipment problems that could not be fixed. Thus the Bulava is basically a navalized version of the successful Topol land based ICBM. The reliability of the Topol is the primary reason the Russians moved forward with Bulava.

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