Languages

Russia resumes ballistic missile tests

Nuclear submarines undergoing mooring tests at Sevmash shipyard. In front a Borey-class sub, behind it a Yasen-class.

Russia is planning two test launches of the Bulava ballistic missile this year. The tests will be conducted by the country’s two newest nuclear-powered submarines.

Location

The Russian navy is planning to launch Bulava missiles from the newly constructed Borey-class submarines “Aleksander Nevsky” and “Vladimir Monomakh”. Both subs are currently undergoing final sea trials and will be taken into service by the end of the year, if the test launches are successful.

One of the submarines will launch a single missile, while the other will conduct a salvo, RIA Novosti reports.

Test launches of Russia’s newest ballistic missile started in 2004, since then Bulava has been one of the most discussed topics in the Russian military industrial complex. Of 18 test launches in the period 2004-2011, 11 were considered to be successful.

As far as BarentsObserver knows, there were no launches of the Bulava missile in 2012.

In 2011 “Yury Dolgoruky”, the first submarine of the Borey-class, conducted four successful test launches of the Bulava missile and was declared ready for service. The submarine entered service in the Northern Fleet in January 2013. The vessel is based in Gadzhiyevo outside Murmansk.

Russia plans to build a total of ten nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of the Borey class. Number four – “Knyaz Vladimir”, is currently under construction at the Sevmash shipyard outside Arkhangelsk. The two next subs will be called “Aleksander Suvorov” and “Mikhail Kutuzov” and will be laid down in July and November 2013, Lenta.ru wrote.