The Defense
Ministry said the Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine test-fired a Bulava
missile from an underwater position in the Barents Sea .
The missile's warheads reached designated targets at a testing range in Russia 's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula
The Bulava suffered
many failures during a decade of tests, raising doubts about the fate of Russia 's most
expensive and ambitious weapons program since the Soviet collapse. But a series
of recent launches has been successful and the Navy now has three Borei-class
nuclear submarines armed with the Bulava.
Two of them, the
Alexander Nevsky and the Yuri Dolgoruky, named after medieval Russian rulers,
already have entered service. The third one has been completed and is waiting
to be formally commissioned by the Navy. Overall, eight Borei-class submarines
are set to be built.
Like the previous
Bulava launch on Oct. 29 from the Yuri Dolgoruky, Friday's test was essential
for confirming the capability of the missile, which Russia touted as a key part
of its nuclear deterrent.
With Soviet-built
nuclear submarines approaching the end of their lifetime, the Kremlin has made
replacing them a top priority in the arms modernization program, which
envisages spending 20 trillion rubles (more than $400 billion) on new weapons
through 2020.
According to
Russian media reports, the Bulava has a range of more than 8,000 kilometers
(nearly 5,000 miles) and is capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads.
Military officials have boasted about its ability to penetrate any prospective
missile defense.
No comments:
Post a Comment