Pacific Fleet Nuclear Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile R-29R

19.10.2012 Pacific Fleet (PF) Calmar-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine K-433 Svyatoi Georgy Pobedonosets performed successful launch of the R-29R liquid-propellant two-staged ballistic missile from the Sea of Okhotsk, said a Russian defense ministry's spokesman on Friday.

"On October 19, Pacific Fleet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine K-433 Svyatoi Georgy Pobedonosets headed by Capt 1 Rank Sergei Nemoguschiy launched a ballistic missile from the Sea of Okhotsk", the interviewee told RIA Novosti.

He specified that the missile's warhead had impacted on the Chizha Range at a set time.

According to Interfax referring to sources in Russian defense industry, the launch was carried out to prove design characteristics of the missile and the submarine. "It's been the first launch of ballistic missile in the current year", said the interviewee.

He reminded that seven effective test launches of submarine-based ballistic missiles had been performed in 2011, including five launches of Bulava missile.

The Chizha Test Range is located in Arkhangelsk region on the Barents Sea shore. To reach the test range, mockup reentry vehicles of the missile launched from the Sea of Okhotsk covered about 6,500 km.

Liquid-propellant two-staged ballistic missile R-29R is designed for Project 667BDR Calmar submarines. It was developed by the Makeyev State Rocket Center and commissioned in 1977. Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Svyatoi Georgy Pobedonosets serves in Pacific Fleet 16-th Nuclear Submarine Squadron. In total, 14 submarines of this class were built with 16 missiles each. Only five of them are still in service - K-211 Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, K-223 Podolsk, K-433 Svyatoi Georgy Pobedonosets, K-506 Zelenograd, and K-44 Ryazan. They are stationed at Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka.

It is noteworthy that another ballistic missile was also successfully launched that day. Intercontinental ballistic missile RS-12M Topol was launched from Plisetsk Space Center in Arkhangelsk region and impacted on Kamchatka.

Combined crew from Strategic Missile Force and Space Defense Force carried out the launch. Its objective was proving of the missile's design characteristics within the prolonged 24-year service life and assessment of the possibility to prolong it up to 25 years. With high precision, the missile's mockup warhead hit the "target" on the Kura Test Range, Kamchatka.