Bulava Missile Massively Produced Thru 4 Years

28.09.2012 JSC Votkinsky Zavod has been massively producing submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Bulava for the fourth year now, said the company's engineering director Rudolf Kuzin.

"We have been manufacturing the missile in large lots not for the first year. It's been third or even forth year", reports RIA Novosti citing Kuzin.

He reminded that the missile's flight tests were finished. That was declared late 2011 by the then-president Dmitry Medvedev.

However, Bulava has not been commissioned into Russian Navy so far. Normally, new weapons are produced in pilot batches prior to commissioning.

Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdiukov said on Sept 21 that the next phase of the Bulava tests was limited by problems of software in the missile's launch control system.

Besides, he said that United Shipbuilding Corporation still could not deliver the lead Borei-class submarine Yury Dolgoruky. Delivery date of that sub was postponed many times.

As was earlier reported, missile system Bulava and its standard carrier SSBN Yury Dolgoruky will be commissioned into Russian Navy after two test launches to be carried out in Oct 2012. Fourth-generation Project 955 Borei was developed by Rubin Design Bureau (St. Petersburg). Each Borei-class submarine carries sixteen R-30 Bulava missiles with independently targetable reentry vehicles and flight range over 10,000 km.

In May 2012, Russian defense ministry and industrial companies signed 3 contracts on upgraded Project 955A Borei submarines with reinforced armament. Each of those five subs will be capable to carry twenty Bulava missiles. Therefore, State Arms Procurement Program 2011-2020 provides construction and delivery of 8 strategic nuclear submarines, i.e. three Project 955 Borei subs with 16 fourth-generation SLBMs Bulava each, and five Project 955A Borei-A with 20 fifth-generation SLBMs Bulava.