Yury Dolgoruky was about to test onboard system, not to launch missile

23.08.2011 Recent sortie of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Yury Dolgoruky was scheduled, and one of checks was testing of contingency system, reported Sevmash shipyard's press service to Central Navy Portal.

According to the yard's defense production supervisor Marat Abizhanov, the test proved correctness of algorithms predetermined for onboard basic and special systems. "As was planned, the sub returned to base and now prepares for the next sortie", Abizhanov said.

The Sevmash spokesman also said that the final decision on a missile test launch is made in every particular case by members of state commission directly at sea with regard to various factors and conditions. For instance, definitive decision whether to launch SLBM Bulava on June 28 was also made after a consultation held on board SSBN Yury Dolgoruky.

As was earlier reported by RIA Novosti referring to a source in the state commission, SSBN Yury Dolgoruky is ready in full and regularly takes the sea, and that sorties not necessarily should result in missile launch. "There are some tasks which the sub performs at sea without firing. That can be, say, testing of some onboard systems", reported the agency citing the source.

It was recently said that the test launch of SLBM Bulava scheduled on Aug 20 was not held due to power supply failure in one of the sub's systems. Reportedly, it was decided to return the sub to the shipyard in order to analyze the malfunction; now Sevmash experts carry out additional tests to find out the failure's reason.