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In March 2009 Hillary Clinton announced that the Obama Adminstration was going to push the restart button with the Russians. Unfortunately, the administration bungled their delivery and spelled out "overcharge" rather than "restart" on their button. An assistant shows the mock 'reset' button that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton handed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva Friday. (AP Photo) Today Russia pushed their own "restart button" and successfully test fired two new nuclear missiles. Reuters reported: Russia successfully tested on Friday its two new Bulava intercontinental missiles, which experienced several failures in the past. The Defence Ministry said...

* General Staff working on plan to boost presence in Arctic * Russia set to start producing Bulava nuclear missile MOSCOW, July 1 (Reuters) - Moscow will create two brigades to protect its valuable Arctic resources, Russia's defence minister said on Friday. Moscow has walked a fine line between cooperation and aggression in the Arctic which the world's top energy producer believes could hold huge reserves of natural gas and oil. "The General Staff is currently working on plans to create two such units," Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was quoted as telling media by state-run news agency Itar-Tass. ... Prime...

SEVERODVINSK (BNS): Russia's newest strategic nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Yury Dolgoruky has successfully completed trials programme of 2010, according to a media report. "The submarine is not going to be delivered to the Navy so far; as is known, Yury Dolgoruky will undergo trials of standard weapon – new missile system Bulava", ITAR TASS quoted a shipyard's representative as saying. Yuriy Dolgorukiy is the first SSBN submarine of the Borei class of the Project 955, which was laid down in 1996 and launched for outfitting in April 2007. The submarine has completed sea trials programme of 2010 and will...

A test warhead from a Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile successfully hit its target on the Kura test range in Russia's Far East Kamchatka region, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday. The missile was fired from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine in the White Sea. Bulava test launches were put on hold after a failed launch on December 9, 2009, which was caused by a defective engine nozzle. The Bulava (SS-NX-30), a three-stage liquid and solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), has officially suffered seven failures in 13 tests

MOSCOW, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 13th test launch of Russia's Bulava inter-continental ballistic missile has been successful, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday. The launch was made from the Northern Fleet's heavy strategic cruiser Dmitry Donskoi. The Bulava successfully hit the target in Kamchatka peninsula, a Defense Ministry's source said. Russian forces plan to undertake three more tests of the missile till the end of this year, two of them from a nuclear submarine. If successful, the third launch will be made from the organic launching shaft aboard the submarine Yuri Dolgoruki. After all the tests are completed,...

A state investigation commission has recommended the continuation of tests on the troubled Bulava ballistic missile following a probe into the most recent test failure, a first deputy defense minister said on Wednesday. Only 5 of the 12 Bulava launches have been officially reported as successful and late last month the commission sent the government the results of its investigation into the latest failure: a launch from the Dmitry Donskoy cruiser in the White Sea in early December 2009. "The state commission, which had been set up to investigate the failed launches of the Bulava, completed its work in June...

A special investigation commission will announce on May 20 the official results of a probe into the latest failure of Russia's ill-fated Bulava ballistic missile, the Navy commander said on Friday. The latest launch of the missile, which Russia hopes will be a key element of its nuclear forces, from the Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine in the White Sea ended in failure in early December 2009. Only five of 12 Bulava launches have been officially reported as being successful. "The conclusions of the commission will be announced on May 20," Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky said. He added that the Russian military...

The designer of the Russian Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile), Yury Solomonov, has gone public with his views on the many test failures of the missile. Solomonov believes that the basic design of the missile is sound, but problems with suppliers and the work force have created many problems. The collapse of the Soviet defense industries, after the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, made it difficult to get all the components needed for the Bulava. And many of the items obtained were of poor quality. When the Soviet defense manufacturing organizations disappeared (because orders fell over 80 percent...

Yury Solomonov, the designer of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile, said that the poor state of the Russian defense industry was the main cause of the weapon's failed test launches. Solomonov resigned from his post as general director of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT) in July 2009 after a series of unsuccessful Bulava tests, but retained his post as general designer of the missile. "I can say in earnest that none of the design solutions have been changed as a result of the tests. The problems occur in the links of the design-technology-production chain," Solomonov said in an...

The upcoming tests of Russia's troubled Bulava ballistic missile will determine whether it will be put in service with the Russian Navy or scrapped, a senior Navy commander said. The Russian Navy is planning to conduct at least four test launches of the Bulava ballistic missile at the end of June. "I believe that this summer will be decisive in terms of adopting Bulava for the service with the Navy," First Deputy of the Naval General Staff Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station on Saturday. "We will continue Bulava tests launches from Dmitry...

Russia plans to carry out at least four test launches of the Bulava ballistic missile by June end, a media report said. "Two Bulava launches will be carried out from the Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine, followed by two launches from the Yury Dolgoruky nuclear sub," RIA Novosti quoted a senior Navy official as saying. "The second test on the Yury Dolgoruky will be a salvo launch," he said. The Bulava-M (SS-NX-30) ICBM carries up to 10 nuclear warheads and has a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The three-stage ballistic missile is designed for deployment on Borey class Project 955...

Russia has started the construction of the fourth Borey-class strategic nuclear-powered submarine designed to carry the Bulava missile, a shipyard spokesman said on Monday. "The work on the sub construction effectively started last year," he said. It was previously reported that construction of the Project 955 Svyatitel Nikolai (St. Nicholas) submarine at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk was delayed from December 2009 until the first quarter of 2010. Russia's newest Borey-class strategic nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, which is expected to be armed with the new Bulava sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), is currently undergoing sea...

Investigators have established that the latest test failure of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile was caused by a design flaw, rather than a faulty component, a Russian defense industry source said Tuesday. "An investigation commission established in December that a design flaw in the device which controls the separation of the third stage had caused the latest failure of the Bulava missile," the source said. It is the first time the Russian industry officials admit that there are problems with the original design of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which Russia hopes will be a key element of its nuclear...

While the new Russian Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) continues to fail flight tests, its U.S. counterpart, the much older, 58 ton, 44 foot long Trident II, has not failed to launch successfully in twenty years. Since 1989, none of more than 120 test launches have failed. The Trident had two failures during its 49 development test launches, but since then, it has been the most reliable SLBM to ever enter service. Each Trident II costs about $65 million, and entered service in 1990. Some of them are fired every year, to insure that the current configuration (of hardware...

The government is calling for more money to be spent on developing new ICBMs. This is because the Russian fear of American technology takes it as fact that U.S. anti-missile defenses will, otherwise, eventually render Russian missiles useless. While this is ability is not generally accepted in the West, in Russia there are many who believe that the Americans are out to neutralize Russian ICBMs, thus eliminating the only leverage Russia has to stop America from "doing whatever it wants." But it's difficult getting more money for new missiles, when the rest of the armed forces are falling apart because...

Russia will press ahead with its Bulava missile programme, the country's defence minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday, despite another failed test launch earlier this month. "We are certainly not going to cancel Bulava," Anatoly Serdyukov told the Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview to be published Thursday, parts of which were obtained by Interfax news agency. "There's a whole series of problems and unfortunately we can not resolve them as quickly as we would like," he added. "Nevertheless, I believe that the missile will fly." The latest test over Russia's White Sea on December 10 ended in failure, owing...

Russia has delayed, for at least a few months, starting construction of their fourth Borei class SSBN (ballistic missile nuclear subs, or "boomers"). Russia wants to have the new Borei class boats replace the current Delta IV class SSBNs. The first Borei is already in the service, but not yet commissioned, and two others are under construction. The problem, and unofficial reason for the delay, is the inability to make the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) work. The latest Bulava test was a spectacular failure (which lit up the pre-dawn sky of northern Norway, for all to see)....

Russia has delayed, for at least a few months, starting construction of their fourth Borei class SSBN (ballistic missile nuclear subs, or "boomers"). Russia wants to have the new Borei class boats replace the current Delta IV class SSBNs. The first Borei is already in the service, but not yet commissioned, and two others are under construction. The problem, and unofficial reason for the delay, is the inability to make the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) work. The latest Bulava test was a spectacular failure (which lit up the pre-dawn sky of northern Norway, for all to see)....

The recent Bulava launch failure has implications for US-Russian arms control talks (EDM, December 17) and will determine whether the Russian defense industry is capable of delivering advanced weapons systems at qualitative levels competing with analogous systems produced abroad. The issue involves the quality of such systems, their relative costs, and the time for their research, development and deployment. This year the Russian defense ministry has selectively answered that question negatively and has bought advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from Israel and entered into discussions with France over the purchase of a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, which so far has...

US-Russian nuclear arms reduction negotiators seem close to concluding a follow up strategic arms reduction treaty (START). The Russian press reports that Washington has agreed to serious concessions and that the new START treaty will be signed soon. The new verification measures will be less intrusive and “based on trust.” The US military control mission will be permanently removed from the Votkinsk missile factory in Udmurtia in the Urals. The US is reported to have agreed to allow Russia in the future to cipher telemetric data of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches. Both sides will be allowed 700 to...

The latest test of Russia new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) was a spectacular failure. The test took place off the northern coast of Russia early on December 10th. The failure resulted in a brilliant light show, in the pre-dawn sky, that was visible to many in Norway. At first the Russians denied that the spectacular lights had anything to do with them. But within a day, they admitted it was Bulava failing its 13th flight test. Last August Russian political and military leaders became upset (make that VERY upset) at the inept development of the new Bulava missile....

Russia plans to replace most of its older (Cold War era) ICBMs in the next five years. But all of these older missiles will not be retired until 2020. Currently, Russia has 538 ICBMs in service, 71 percent of them the most modern Topols (SS-25 and SS-27). Only 56 are the most modern, Topol-M design. About a dozen of these are the road-mobile versions, that avoid destruction in a first strike, by constantly moving around on the roads 200-300 kilometers northeast of Moscow. The 54 foot long transporter for these 46 ton missiles is a 16 wheel vehicle, using a...

A mysterious blue spiral light that appeared in the skies above Norway was likely the result of a failed test launch of a jinxed new Russian missile, the UK’s Mail Online reported. Several newspapers in Moscow today ran a story explaining that the Bulava missile was test-fired from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine in the White Sea early on Wednesday but failed at the third stage. However, earlier reports from Moscow denied a missile launch yesterday and even early today there was no formal confirmation from the Russian Defense Ministry. Some speculators felt the lights were connected with the aurora borealis,...

Turns out they're not "out there" after all. Those UFO sighting in Norway this morning weren't actually UFOs -- just a Russian missile test gone wrong. The Russian Defense Ministry admitted today that its Bulava intercontinental missile failed a test launch, following reports of unusual lights in Norway that caused an influx of UFO sightings. Russia's submarine-based Bulava (Mace), which is designed to carry multiple warheads up to 5,000 miles, failed its 13th test launch, something Alexander Khramchikhin, chief analyst at the Institute of Military and Political Analysis in Moscow, called "a catastrophe." "Billions of dollars have been flushed down...

November 4, 2009: Russian defense officials announced that the failed Bulava ballistic missile test last July, was due to a defect in the first stage steering system. This was fixed, and another test will take place before the end of the month. So far, the Bulava has been test fired eleven times. Only one of those tests was an unqualified success, and six were absolute failures. But the Russian government insists that development will continue, and succeed. The inept development of the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) for the new Boeri class SSBN (nuclear submarine carrying SLBMs) has...

Russian defense officials announced that the failed Bulava ballistic missile test last July, was due to a defect in the first stage steering system. This was fixed, and another test will take place before the end of the month. So far, the Bulava has been test fired eleven times. Only one of those tests was an unqualified success, and six were absolute failures. But the Russian government insists that development will continue, and succeed. The inept development of the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) for the new Boeri class SSBN (nuclear submarine carrying SLBMs) has become a growing...

Russia has told the developers of the new Bulava SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) that they have until the end of the year to make the missile work. Otherwise, the project will be cancelled, heads will roll (OK, people will be fired) and the older R-29RM Sineva SLBM will replace the Bulava. It's already been suggested that the 40 ton R-29RM be used in the new Borei SSBNs. Sineva is the last liquid fuel Russian SLBM in service, and is used in the current Delta class SSBNs. Liquid fuel missiles are more complex than solid fuel missiles, even though they...

Russia could scrap troubled sea missile: report Fri Aug 14, 6:43 am ET MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia may halt the development of its accident-prone Bulava sea-based nuclear missiles and opt for another system if future tests fail to work successfully, Interfax reported Friday, quoting industry sources. Russia has pressed ahead with the Bulava as a crucial plank of its strategic defense that has become a symbol of the country's attempts to create a new generation of post-Soviet weaponry to match Washington's advanced arsenal. Instead, the Sineva missile that has already entered service could be installed on new Borei-class submarines intended...

The head of the institute developing a sea-based version of Russia's newest strategic missile has quit following repeated failures of the weapon in testing, officials said Wednesday. Yury Solomonov, head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, was the most senior official to date to take responsibility for the string of failures of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, currently in development. "After the latest unsuccessful launch of the Bulava rocket, Yury Solomonov has submitted a resignation letter," Interfax-AVN, a news agency specializing in military affairs, quoted a source in the country's space industry as saying. The source said his resignation...

MOSCOW, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's newest Borey class strategic nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, has completed the first round of sea trials and is returning to a shipyard in northern Russia, the Sevmash plant said on Friday. Sea trials of the submarine, which is expected to be armed with new Bulava sea-based ballistic missiles, started on June 24 in the White Sea. "A team of workers and submariners has successfully completed the set tasks," Sevmash general director Nikolai Kalistratov said. He added that the Yury Dolgoruky would still have to pass a number of sea trials later this...

MOSCOW, May 6 (RIA Novosti) - The United States had nothing to do with a number of unsuccessful launches of Russia's new Bulava sea-based ballistic missile, the Russian defense minister said in an interview with a respected daily. Some Russian media earlier reported that the U.S. had employed its latest electromagnetic weapons from bases in Alaska, northern Europe and Greenland to disrupt Bulava missile tests. "The Americans have nothing to do with it," Anatoly Serdyukov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta, adding that testing a missile for combat duty is a long and complicated process. "We didn't avoid failures and errors with all...

MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy will conduct at least five test launches of the new Bulava sea-based ballistic missile in 2009, the deputy defense minister for procurement said on Thursday. Despite five failures in 10 trials, Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to complete a series Bulava tests and put the ICBM into service by the end of 2009. "Considering that we must ensure reliable performance characteristics of the [Bulava] missile, we have decided to raise the number of additional test launches to five, if everything goes well," Vladimir Popovkin said. Popovkin, who is visiting the Russian...

"If you don't succeed at first, try, try and try again." That old saying could be the motto for the Russian navy, which is pushing ahead with at least three more test launchings of its much-troubled Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile this year. "We are planning three test launches of the Bulava missile from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine. If the tests are successful, they will continue on board the new Yury Dolgoruky nuclear-powered submarine," Vice Adm. Oleg Burtsev, deputy chief of the navy general staff, announced March 19, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. The solid-fuel Bulava is an adaptation...

MOSCOW, March 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy will conduct at least three test launches of the new Bulava sea-based ballistic missile in 2009, a senior navy official said on Thursday. "We are planning three test launches of the Bulava missile from the Dmitry Donskoi submarine. If the tests are successful, they will continue on board the new Yury Dolgoruky nuclear-powered submarine," said Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev, deputy chief of the Navy General Staff. Despite five failures in 10 trials, Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to complete a series Bulava tests and put the ICBM into service by the...

MOSCOW, March 16 (RIA Novosti) - A faulty ejection cartridge was responsible for the failure of the latest test launch of the Bulava sea-based ballistic missile, a Russian Defense Ministry source said on Monday. The submerged launch of the Bulava ICBM took place on December 23 from the Dmitry Donskoi strategic nuclear-powered submarine in the White Sea, off Russia's northwest coast, targeting the Kura firing ground in Kamchatka in Russia's Far East. The missile left the tube, but went off course and self-destructed due to a malfunction following the first stage separation. "The cause of the latest failure during the...

MOSCOW, March 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Defense Ministry is planning to complete tests and put into service sea-based Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in 2009, a deputy defense minister said on Thursday. The Bulava (SS-NX-30) ICBM carries up to 10 nuclear warheads and has a range of 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). It is designed for deployment on Borey-class Project 955 nuclear-powered submarines. "We are planning to complete the firing tests and put the Bulava missile system on combat duty aboard the Yury Dolgoruky submarine this year," Gen. Vladimir Popovkin said. The latest unsuccessful submerged test launch on December 23...

take a proactive stand on the testing and production of sea-based Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, a deputy prime minister said on Monday. The latest unsuccessful submerged test launch on December 23 from the Dmitry Donskoi strategic nuclear-powered submarine in the White Sea, off Russia's northwest coast, was Bulava's fifth failure in ten trials. The Russian military said that production flaws could be to blame for the unsuccessful test launches. "There are flaws in the testing of the [Bulava] components on the ground. Often, real tests are substituted by mathematical calculations to match technical requirements," Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting...

MOSCOW (AFP) — A test-firing of a new Russian sea-based missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads ended in failure Tuesday when the weapon disintegrated after launch, the Interfax news agency reported. "After its firing from the submarine Dmitry Donskoy, the Bulava missile self-liquidated and exploded in the air," a military source told the agency. Interfax said this was the eighth test launch of the Bulava and the fifth time the firing has been unsuccessful. No damage or casualties were caused by the rocket's explosion, the source said. Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo did not directly comment on the report but...

Russian military to get new missile, tank Reuters - Saturday, December 22 06:06 pmMOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian armed forces will receive a new submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missile in 2008 and a new type of tank in 2009, local news agencies quoted a top Russian general as saying on Saturday. ADVERTISEMENT Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Makarov was quoted as saying the nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky, equipped with the Bulava missile, will become part of the Russian navy next year. Makarov was quoted as saying tests of the missile were almost completed and "we will get it in 2008". The Bulava...

Russia approves mass production of cutting-edge Bulava missile 18:47 | 07/ 08/ 2007 MOSCOW. (Military commentator Viktor Yuzbashev for RIA Novosti) - Russia has moved to a higher level in the design of strategic sea-based nuclear systems. Admiral Vladimir Masorin, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, said the Bulava-M (SS-NX-30), a naval derivative of the land-based missile Topol (SS-27), had been approved for mass production. It will be supplied to the new fourth-generation Project 955 Borey-class strategic submarines. Three such submarines, the Yury Dolgoruky, the Vladimir Monomakh and the Alexander Nevsky, are being built at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk...

Putin takes gamble on misfiring missile By Adrian Blomfield Last Updated: 2:12am BST 06/08/2007 Russia’s navy yesterday vowed that its Bulava nuclear missile will be commissioned next year - despite misfiring during most of its test launches. With president Vladimir Putin desperate to project an image of the revitalised military strength to the west, the navy has been desperate to show it has shaken off the post-Soviet malaise that gripped the Russian armed forced in the 1990’s. But, despite a dramatic increase in defence spending, naval chiefs have been deeply embarrassed by a series of delays, mishaps and cover-ups over...

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia successfully tested a new sea-based ballistic missile Thursday after several previous failures, a naval spokesman said. Capt. Igor Dygalo told The Associated Press that the Bulava missile hit its target on the Pacific peninsula of Kamchatka after being launched from the submarine Dmitry Donskoi in the White Sea. According to published Russian news reports, the Bulava is designed to have a range of 6,200 miles and carry six individually targeted nuclear warheads. It is expected to be placed on three new Borei-class nuclear submarines that are under construction. President Vladimir Putin has hailed Bulava as a...

The chief of Russia's strategic forces on Saturday attended the deployment of a new set of state-of-the art intercontinental ballistic missiles, boasting of their capability to penetrate any prospective missile defense, news reports said. Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, chief of the Strategic Missile Forces, took part in a ceremony that marked the commissioning of the latest set of Topol-M missiles at a missile base in Tatishchevo in the Volga River's Saratov region. Solovtsov said Saturday that the new missile "is capable of penetrating any missile defense system," the RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies reported. Russian officials have called prospective...

MOSCOW, September 27 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia would deploy new hypersonic missile systems that would be virtually invulnerable to enemy defenses. "We are developing and will deploy new strategic high-precision systems that have no rivals across the globe. These hypersonic systems will be capable of changing the course and altitude. They will be practically invulnerable, including to air defense systems," the president said speaking on live television and radio. Commenting on the president's statement, an air defense expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Putin must have meant state-of-the-art air defense systems, or...

Russia to Deliver 2 Boomers in 2006 With New SLBMs Posted 29-Apr-2005 06:40 Related stories: Budgets, Missile Defense, New Systems Tech, Non-U.S., Nuclear, Submarine ForcesAlso on this day: 29-Apr-2005 �â Project 941 'Typhoon' Sub The Russian Navy has announced that 2006 will see the deployment of two new strategic nuclear missile submarines (SSBNs, a.k.a. "boomers") armed with SS-NX-30 Bulava sea-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a sea-launched variant of their new land-based SS-27 Topol-M ICBM. One sub will be a restored Typhoon Class vessel, while the other will be a new SSBN class design. The TK-208 "Dmitry Donskoi" is a Project...

Not much is known of Russia’s new Bulava missile but the successful launch shows that plans in this field will be implemented. The Russian defence minister, Sergei Ivanov, has informed President Vladimir Putin about the tests of a dummy Bulava (Mace) submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) that were held in the White Sea. An exact replica of a real Bulava reached a pre-set altitude after being launched from the submerged world’s largest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), the Dmitry Donskoi. This was a significant event for Russia’s Navy and military-industrial sector. Although a great deal of time and work is still...