Russia will resume tests of its troubled Bulava
submarine-launched intercontinental missile in the summer of 2010, said
the Russian Navy on Monday.
Photo : Ria Novosti
At least two Bulava missiles will
be test-fired on Russia's strategic nuclear-powered submarine Dmitry
Donskoi, officials from the Russian Navy were quoted as saying by the
Itar-Tass news agency.
If the test-launches are
successful, more launches, including single and salvo ones, will be
conducted on the Yuri Dolgoruky submarine, for which the missile was
designed, said the source.
By now, seven of the 12
test-launches of the Bulava missile have been reported as unsuccessful.
The latest failure was on Dec.9, 2009 in the White Sea off Russia's
northwest coast.
Further development of the missile
has been questioned by some legislators and defense experts, but the
military insisted there was no alternative to the Bulava and pledged to
continue testing the missile until it is ready to be put into service
with the navy.
The Bulava, which is capable of
carrying up to 10 individually-targeted nuclear warheads and has a
maximum range of 8,000 km, is expected to become a key part of the
Russian military's future nuclear arsenal. (Original News)
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