Moscow: Russia is planning to test launch
its troubled Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
in the White Sea by the end of this week, a media report said
on Wednesday.
The Bulava (SS-NX-30), a three-stage liquid and
solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM),
has suffered seven failures in 12 tests.
Further test launches were put on hold after a failed
launch on December 9, 2009 said to be caused by a defective
engine nozzle.
"The test launch of the missile is expected at the
end of the week, most likely on Thursday," RIA Novosti quoted
its sources, who also informed that the Akula class `Dmitry
Donskoy` nuclear submarine was already in the White Sea for
the test launch.
The Bulava is a submarine launched version of
Topol-M land-based ICBMs and is expected to phase out the
R-29RMU Sineva currently deployed on Russia`s nuclear
submarine.
It is being developed for the next generation Borei
class of nuclear submarines, which would be the mainstay of
the Russian nuclear triad in the coming decades.
First Borei class submarine Yuri Dolgoruky was
launched in 2007 after several delays and in the course of its
construction it was modified to accommodate the Bulava
missiles, Russian shipbuilders said.
PTI
