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Yuri Dolgoruky successfully launches the Bulava

Bulava missile

Russia’s newest and most advanced sub launches Russia’s most lethal missile, the Bulava.

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The new-built “Yuri Dolgoruky” yesterday for the first time test launched Russia’s most advanced, and most troublesome, missile, the Bulava. With the successful launch, the sub and the missile, both designed for eachother, passed the test. The “Yuri Dolgoruky” launched the “Bulava” from the White Sea and the hit the test ground in Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East as planned. The launch was made submerged position, military spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian news agencies. Captain Vladimir Shirin commanded the historical launch, Kommersant reports.

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The test launch has been awaited with major excitement both in Russia and abroad. Of the former 15 test launches of the missile, as many as seven have failed. All the tests have so far been carried out from the “Dmitri Donskoy” - a Typhoon-class submarine rebuilt into a test-platform for the Bulava-missile.

Yesterday’s test was different, it was the first launch made from Yuri Dolgoruky, Russia’s first fourth generation strategic sub, a vessel built in Severodvinsk and specially designed to carry the Bulava. The successful launch is a major releaf for the Russian military, which over a big number of years have spent huge sums on the construction of both the submarine and the missile. More failed launches would be a serious blow to military leaders and a loss of prestige to Russia’s whole military-industrial complex.

Read also: Background on Bulava missile tests

As BarentsObserver reported, the “Bulava” is expected to be included in the Russian weapon arsenal is this year’s five planned test launches are conducted successfully.