“Yury Dolgoruky”, Russia’s first submarine of the Borey class, will launch a Bulava missile in September-October, a source in the Navy General Staff says to ITAR-TASS. The launch plans have been altered several times and could still be subject for change before the tests start, the source says. Only a week ago Russian media reported that the two other submarines in the series, “Vladimir Monomakh” and “Alexander Nevsky” were going to start launch tests this autumn.
“Yury Dolgoruky” is so far the only Borey class submarine that has managed to successfully launch a Bulava missile.
Test launches of the Bulava have been experiencing significant problems since the start of the project. Of the 19 or 20 test launches that have been done since 2004, eight have been officially declared unsuccessful. However, some analysts suggest that in reality the number of failures is considerably higher.
“Alexander Nevsky” fired its first test missile in September 2013. The launch was unsuccessful and resulted in a halt of all trials of new submarines until the missile system could be further tested. The incident had been caused by production flaws, according to the commission investigating the failed launch.
Russia has one rebuilt Typhoon class submarine it uses as test platform for the Bulava missiles. The nearly forty years old “Dmitry Donskoy” is the world’s largest submarine and the only vessel testing the missile system from 2004 until “Yury Dolgoruky” launched its first missile in June 2011.
”Alexander Nevsky” to Kamchatka before end of year
“Yury Dolgoruky” was handed over to the Northern Fleet in Januar 2013. “Vladimir Monomakh” and “Alexander Nevsky” are both planned to be put into service in the Pacific Fleet.
Russia plans to send “Alexander Nevsky” to its base in Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka before the end of the year to begin combat training, Eastern Military District Commander Colonel-General Sergey Surovikin said to ITAR-TASS on Thursday.
It is however uncertain if the vessel will be send eastwards before it succeeds to launch its designated missile.
The fourth vessel in the Borey class, “Knyaz Vladimir”, is still under construction at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk.
