RSM-56 Bulava

R-30 Bulava
Bulava Missile variants
Type	SLBM
Service history
In service	planned for 2010
Production history
Manufacturer	FSUE Votkinsky Zavod
Specifications
Weight	36.8 metric tons
Length	11.5 m (without warhead), 12.1 m (launch container)
Diameter	2 m (missile), 2.1 m (launch container)
Warhead	6 re-entry vehicles with a yield of 150 kT each.[3]
Engine	three stage solid propellant
Operational range	8,000[1] to 10,000 kilometers[2]
Guidance system	inertial, possibly with stellar sensor and/or GLONASS update
Launch platform	Borei class submarines

The Bulava (Russian: Булава, lit. "mace") is a submarine-launched ballistic missile under development in Russia. The Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology is chiefly responsible for the missile's design. Bulava carries the NATO reporting name SS-NX-30 and has been assigned the GRAU index 3M30. In international treaties, the common designation RSM-56 is used.

The Bulava is designed as the new generation ballistic missile for the new 'Borey' class of ballistic missile nuclear submarines, the first of which, as of 2005, was expected to be commissioned in 2006.^[2] As of March 2009^[update], the first vessel of the class, the Yury Dolgorukiy, had six sea trials remaining before commissioning.^[4]

Description

The Bulava design is based on the Topol M, but is both lighter and more sophisticated. The two missiles are expected to have comparable ranges, and similar CEP and warhead configurations.

The Russian military developed Bulava to possess advanced defense capabilities making it resistant to missile-defense systems. Among its claimed abilities are evasive maneuvering, mid-course countermeasures and decoys and a warhead fully shielded against both physical and Electromagnetic pulse damage. The Bulava is designed to be capable of surviving a nuclear blast at a minimum distance of 500 meters.^[5] Prime minister Vladimir Putin has claimed that Bulava could penetrate any potential anti-missile defence system.

The Bulava is planned to carry up to 12 MIRV warheads with a yield of 150 kT each. A full-capacity payload requires the forfeiture of all final stage countermeasures and of some shielding.

Development history

The decision on developing the Bulava missile was adopted in 1998 after three unsuccessful tests of the Bark missile of the Miass Construction Bureau named after Makeev. The missile completed the first stage launch-tests at the end of 2004. It was originally scheduled for completion in late 2006, but is now not expected to enter service until 2009. The first boats to carry the Bulava will be the forthcoming Borei class submarines, which will be outfitted with sixteen missiles each. The first three boats of this class will be deployed in 2010 (a total of 5 were planned for 2015.^[6]) A land-based variant is also expected.

On 19 September 2008, a senior Navy official announced that Russia will adopt the new Bulava-M submarine-based ballistic missile for service with the Navy in 2009.^[7] However, as of July 2009^[update] about half of the tests of the submarine-based Bulava-M have been failures.

On 22 July 2009, RIA Novosti reported that Yury Solomonov had resigned from the head of the research institute that was designing the Bulava and that a new director would be appointed in September.^[8]

On 15 September 2009, RIA Novosti reported that Yury Solomonov will most likely retain his post as general designer for the missiles.^[9]

Sergei Kovalyov, the designer of three generations of Russian strategic submarines, said that the continuing test failures of the Bulava missile are due to several things:

In Soviet times, during the first stage of trials, dummy missiles were fired from a floating launch pad in Balaklava to test the underwater segment of the trajectory. After that, similar tests were conducted on board a re-equipped submarine. They were followed by a number of launches from a land-based launch pad in Nenoks in the Arkhangelsk region to test the flight range. There were no conditions to carry out tests at a floating launch pad in Balaklava, and there was no opportunity to conduct ground-based tests of the missile either, because the funds needed to build launch pads and a new silo were not provided.

He also criticised the poor quality of missile components provided by a large number of sub-contractors and the absence of military representatives at manufacturing plants.^[10]

Sergey Kovalev, a missile submarine designer at the Rubin Design Bureau, in Saint Petersburg, has told the press that "'One of the reasons for the failed Bulava launches is unsuitable metal piping,' he said. '[This was] because the plant, which earlier had manufactured it in accordance with state standards, now sets its own norms, which allows various deviations. Poor-quality work in the race for money. The piping leaked, and the missile blew up.' Kovalev said that shoddy materials like that would not have been tolerated under the Soviet regime, and he predicted that more such stories would come to light in future test flights."^[11]

An attempt to "come up with [a] backup missile design ... has not yielded results" so the Bulava remains the primary choice for carrying on the three large nuclear-powered missile submarines that have been constructed specifically to carry the RSM-56.^[11]

Despite continued test failures, the Russian defence minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, has stated that the project will not be abandoned. "We will certainly not give up the Bulava. I think that despite all the failures, the missile will fly," he said in an interview in late December 2009.^[12]

As of January 2010^[update], the next test flight of a Bulava missile is planned for June 2010.^[11]. Later was stated next flight on August 2010 and two more to end of year (one of them from Borei class submarine)

Flight tests

2005/2006

The first test launches conducted on 27 September 2005, and 21 December 2005, from the Dmitry Donskoi, a Typhoon class ballistic missile submarine, were successful.^[13] The next three flight tests, on 7 September 2006, 25 October 2006, and 24 December 2006, ended in failures of the missile, the causes of which have not yet been revealed.

2007

One successful test launch was conducted on 28 June 2007, although some reports claim problems with the missile's warheads. On August 5, 2007 Russia made a decision to start serial production of the Bulava sea-launched ballistic missile.^[14] However, this did not happen, and after a longer period of reviewing the program the decision was made to continue the flight testing.

2008

On 25 July 2008, the Dmitri Donskoi went to sea to conduct tests of the new launching system.^[15]

Three more tests were conducted during 2008. The first was conducted on 18 September 2008 at 18:45 Moscow time.^[16] Some reports did however say that the test was not quite successful and that the bus failed to separate the warheads,^[17] or that the missile carried no warheads^[18] at all. The second was conducted on 28 November 2008 from a submerged Typhoon class submarine in the White Sea. First reports suggested that is was a successful test.^[19] The third and last test of 2008 was conducted at 03:00 GMT on 23 December 2008, but failed after the missile went off-course and self-destructed.^[20][21]

On December 23, 2008 a senior Russian Navy official said that at least five more Bulava tests will be conducted during 2009.^[21]

2009

In February it was announced that the flight-tests would be resumed in March 2009.^[22] This was later delayed to June 2009.^[23] On July 15 a new test was conducted, ending in another failure when the missile's first stage malfunctioned shortly after launch. Later it was announched that the Russian Defense Ministry's naval commission would investigate the failure.^[24] Later a defence industry source claimed that the failure was caused by a defective steering system in the missile's first rocket stage.^[25]

In the last days of October 2009 another launch reportedly failed when the missile did not leave the launch tube, according to an anonymous source quoted by AFP. However, according to other sources, "the launch was tentatively scheduled for November 24 but has been postponed to the end of 2009."^[26]

There was another test on December 9, 2009, which failed. The failure is believed to have caused the 2009 Norwegian spiral anomaly, causing puzzlement and excitement there.^[27][28][29] The Russian defense ministry reported that the first two stages of the rocket worked properly, but a technical failure in the third stage resulted in the launch failure.^[30][31]

2010

In 2010 it was reported that the testing would continue on August 9-12. However due to the raging wildfires in the summer of 2010 Russia postponed the launches by atleast two weeks.^[32][33]

Timetable

Operator

 Russia

The Russian Navy is scheduled to be the sole operator of the Bulava.

References

External links

• MissileThreat news articles, primarily with an American view of events.
• Russia's Bulava undergoes fast-track test programme, May 2006.
• Technical data in PDF, DTIG.
• Technical data.
• technical data.