23.08.2010
Text:
Photo: SLBM
Bulava test launch. Rossiya TV channel
It was previously said by Russian Navy Main HQ that three
Bulava test launches would be conducted till the year is over; one of them will be firstly made by the missile's standard carrier – SSBN
Yury Dolgoruky.
Twelfth test launch of SLBM
Bulava failed; the missile was launched from submerged SSBN
Dmitry Donskoy on Dec 9, 2009 at the White Sea. Unstable operation of third stage engine was registered during the missile flight; it deviated from required track. According to
Vedomosti, reason of the latest faulty launch was manufacturing defect – breakdown of solid engine thrust control mechanism made by
NPO Iskra (Perm).
Seven out of twelve
Bulava launches were considered unsuccessful, one – entirely successful. As explained by a source of
ITAR-TASS, failure origin is so called "sliding breakdown" every time appearing at another place. According to
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, all test launches of
Bulava cost Russia at least 100 bln RUR.
Bulava is a submarine-launched ballistic missile. It is designed for destruction of critical strategic targets at enemy territory.
Bulava missiles are planned to be based on Project 941
Akula submarines (
Dmitry Donskoy) and Project 955
Borei (
Yury Dolgoruky,
Alexander Nevsky,
Vladimir Monomakh). SLBM
Bulava is currently under development in Moscow Thermotechnics Institute.
Presently,
Bulava passes pre-commission test launches from SSBN
Dmitry Donskoy. The missile production will be established at FSUE
Votkinsky Zavod which produces ICBM
Topol-M as well.
It is expected that
Bulava will stop aging of Russian sea-based nuclear force and even change it in degree. According to the missile's general designer Yury Solomonov, neither current and prospective US ballistic missile defense system nor being developed German, French and Japanese BMD systems would be capable to track
Bulava.
