The testing program of Russia’s new nuclear missile can be resumed already in January, a higher ranking military representative told RIA Novosti:
- A precise date has not yet been decided, but either we will be able to launch in January, or we will wait until summer, when the White Sea is free of ice, the source said. In 2009, Russia waited until July to conduct the year’s first tests, so a delay is highly possible.
Last week Russia conducted its seventh unsuccessful launch of the prestigious missile, creating much commotion in Norway and the rest of the world, since the exploding missile was visible over large areas of Northern Norway. Full-scale designing of the Bulava missile program started ten years ago, and so far 13 launches have been made.
The Bulava missile system is meant to be placed on the Russian’s Navy’s fourth generation strategic submarine of the Borei class. The first nuclear submarine of this class, the “Yury Dolgoruky”, is currently undergoing testing in Arctic waters. Two other submarines, the “Alexander Nevsky” and the “Vladimir Monomakh”, are currently under construction at the Sevmash plant.
Construction of the fourth of the Borei-class submarines is planned to start up in connection with Sevmash shipyard’s 70 year anniversary on December 22. As BarentsObserver reported, it will be named after Saint Nicholas and called “Syvatitel Nikolay”. After last week’s failed launch, some media has asked if the start-up will be delayed. A source in the Russian military told RIA Novosti that they have no such plans:
- Everything is going according to the plan, and there are no changes in the plan for the construction of submarines of this class. The next submarine will be laid down on December 22, he said.
