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Dmitry Donskoy Submarine Prepares For Future Bulava Missile Tests

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  • Dmitry Donskoy Submarine Prepares For Future Bulava Missile Tests

    DMITRY DONSKOY SUBMARINE PREPARES FOR FUTURE BULAVA MISSILE TESTS

    RIA Novosti
    Oct 28, 2009

    MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Dmitry Donskoy strategic
    nuclear-powered submarine returned on Wednesday from a short sea
    test run to prepare for upcoming test launches of the troubled
    Bulava missile.

    "The sub left the base in Severodvinsk on Monday to test the readiness
    of the equipment for future launches of the Bulava missile," a
    Severodvinsk administration official said, without specifying the
    date for the next test of the missile.

    The Typhoon-class submarine, based at a naval facility in northern
    Russia's Severodvinsk, is the only vessel in service with the Russian
    Navy capable of testing the new Bulava submarine-launched ballistic
    missile (SLBM).

    The Russian military expects the Bulava, along with Topol-M land-based
    ballistic missiles, to become the core of Russia's nuclear triad.

    However, the Bulava's development has been dogged by a series of
    setbacks, which has officially suffered six failures in 11 tests.

    The latest Bulava failure during the launch from Dmitry Donskoy in
    the North Sea on July 15 was caused by a defective steering system
    in its first stage, a defense industry source said on Monday.

    The future development of the Bulava has been questioned by some
    lawmakers and defense industry officials, who have suggested that
    all efforts should be focused on the existing Sineva SLBM.

    But the Russian military has insisted that there is no alternative
    to the Bulava and pledged to continue testing the missile until it
    is ready to be put in service with the Navy.

    The Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has
    a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The three-stage
    solid-propellant ballistic missile is designed for deployment on
    Borey-class nuclear-powered submarines.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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