Russia to choose sub for next Bulava launch by Dec 10

The next launch is scheduled for the second half of December.

The Russian state commission for testing of the Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile has completed its analysis of the missile’s latest two successful launches and will choose a submarine for further tests by December 10, a source in the commission said to RIA Novosti.

Last time, a Bulava missile was successfully test-fired on October 29 from the nuclear-powered submarine Dmitry Donskoi in the White Sea, hitting a target on the Kura test range in Russia’s Far East Kamchatka region some 6,000 kilometers to the east.

It was the second successful firing in a month, coming after a series of embarrassing failures. Now, seven launches of the Bulava missile have been declared successful and their number has equaled the number of the missile’s failures.

- The work to study the results of the missile’s latest two launches came to an end on Saturday. It was decided that the third test launch will be made in the second half of December. The exact date of the launch will depend on weather conditions in the White Sea, from which the missile is planned to be fired, the source said.

The government commission is currently deciding on the submarine to launch the Bulava missile.

- With a great degree of certainty, we can say that a Bulava missile will be test launched from the Borei-class nuclear-powered undersea cruiser Yury Dolgoruky, which is preparing for tests. A final decision will be made in the first ten days of December, the source said.

Read all of BarentsObserver’s articles on the Bulava missile