Next Bulava missile test-launch slated for november 24
Russia’s troubled Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile will be test-fired on November 24. Of the 11 test launches that have been conducted so far, only five have been successful.
The missile will be launched from the nuclear powered Typhoon-class submarine Dmitry Donskoy, which is the only vessel in service with the Russian Navy capable of testing the new missile, RIA Novosti reports.
The Bulava was last test-fired from the Dmitry Donskoi in the North Sea on July 15, but self-destructed soon after launch due to a defective steering system in its first stage.
Dmitry Donskoy left its base in Severodvinsk outside Arkhangelsk on Monday to test the readiness of the equipment for future launches of the Bulava missile, a Severodvinsk administration official said told RIA Novosti. The submarine returned on Wednesday.
