24.11.2009
Subsequent test launch of SLBM Bulava will be conducted early December, informs Interfax-AVN referring to the source in missile branch.
The launch will be performed from SSBN
Dmitry Donskoy which is to sail off Severodvinsk late Nov or early Dec to the range in White Sea, specified the source.
The sub has passed special pre-launch sea trials in Oct 26-28.
According to the source, causes of last faulty launch of
Bulava have been analyzed and eliminated.
RIA Novosti previously informed referring to the source in Russian military industrial complex that the launch would be carried out today in North Sea.
Six out of eleven launches of
Bulava were considered unsuccessful, one – entirely successful. Test launch planned on early December was scheduled on Oct 15, but the tests were postponed by decision of the board inquiring reasons of July failure. Yury Solomonov, general designer of
Bulava resigned after the last faulty test. Cause of that accident was the defect of first stage flight control unit.
Bulava is a submarine-based intercontinental 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 (example –
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. Several launches are planned till the end of 2009. If they are satisfactory the missile will be tested on SSBN
Yury Dolgoruky.
Bulava missiles are manufactured at FSUE
Votkinsky Zavod which produces ICBM
Topol-M as well.
It is expected that
Bulava will stop ageing 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 will not be capable to track
Bulava.
CHARACTERISTICS
Number of stages: 3
Length with warhead: 12.1 meters
Length without warhead: 11.5 meters
Diameter: 2 meters
Launch weight: 36.8 tonnes
Throw-weight: 1,150
Fuel type: solid mixture
Flight range: 8,000 km
Warhead type: multiple, nuclear, jettisonable
Number of warheads: 6
Yield: 6 x 150 kiloton
Guidance: autonomous, inertial, by on-board digital computer complex
TK-208
Dmitry Donskoy is Project 941
Akula heavy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, lead ship of the project.
REGISTRATION
Northern Fleet, Zapadnaya Litsa
CONSTRUCTION, NAME
The sub was laid down on June 30, 1976 at
Sevmashpredpriyatie Shipyard and commissioned in 1981. It joined Northern Fleet in 1982. The submarine is known as
Dmitry Donskoy since October 7, 2002.
MILESTONES
In 1987 the sub entered Navy's Roll of Honor; in 1989 - Honors Board of Ministry of Defense. In 1989 it was inactivated and laid up at
Sevmash for general modernization under Project 941U. In 1991 the work was shut down. Modernization under Project 941UM was pushed in 1996. On July 26, 2002 the sub was commissioned into Northern Fleet again. In 2008 it passed repair and upgrade at
Sevmash shipyard. In 2009 it is expected to complete test launches of SLBM
Bulava based on the submarine.
PERFORMANCE
NATO classification: SSBN
Typhoon
Surface speed: 12 knots
Submerged speed: 27 knots
Operating depth: 400 meters
Endurance: 180 days
Crew: 160 men
DIMENSIONS
Surface displacement: 23,200 (28,500) tonnes
Submerged displacement: 48,000 (49,800) tonnes
Extreme length (at design waterline): 172 meters
Extreme hull beam: 23.3 meters
Mean draft (at design waterline): 11 meters
PROPULSION
Nuclear reactor; 2 water-cooled reactors
OK-650, 50,000 shp each (36.7 MW)
2 screw shafts
4 steam-turbine atomic power plants, 3.2 MW each
Reserve:
2 diesel generators
DG-750 (KW)
Lead-acid storage battery
ARMAMENT
6 x 533-mm torpedo tubes
22 torpedoes
53-65K,
SET-65,
SAET-60M,
USET-80 and
Vodopad rocket torpedoes
20 SLBM
Bulava
8
Igla SAM launchers
Source: RusNavy.com, photo: launch of BM Bulava (Vesti TV program)
