Russia may soon test launch Bulava from 2nd Borey class sub

ST. PETERSBURG, June 30 (RIA Novosti)

The Russian Navy is planning to test launch the Bulava ballistic missile from the Alexander Nevsky strategic submarine later this year, Navy commander Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said on Thursday.

The Alexander Nevsky is the second Borey class nuclear-powered submarine, which is at the final stages of construction at the Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia.

"This year, we will test fire the Bulava for the first time from the second designated carrier of the missile - the Alexander Nevsky submarine," Vysotsky said at the 5th International Maritime Defense Show, IMDS-2011, in St. Petersburg.

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) SLBM carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The three-stage ballistic missile is specifically designed for deployment on Borey class nuclear submarines.

Russia has carried out 15 test launches of the Bulava. Only eight of them were successful.

On June 28, the first Borey class submarine, the Yuri Dolgoruky, successfully fired a Bulava missile from a submerged position in the White Sea. The Russian military is planning to conduct four additional tests of the missile before putting it into service by the end of 2011.