RSM-56 Bulava

R-30 Bulava

The "Bulava" (Russian: «Булава», “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.

The 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 design is based on the SS-27 (Topol M), but is both lighter and more sophisticated. The two missiles are expected to have comparable ranges, and similar CEP and warhead configurations.

File:Bulava.png

Bulava Missile variants.

The Russian military developed Bulava to possess advanced defense capabilities making it nearly impervious to existing missile-defense systems. Among its claimed abilities are: evasive maneuvering, mid-course countermeasures and decoys and a warhead fully shielded against both physical and EMP damage. The Bulava is designed to be capable of surviving a nuclear blast at a minimum distance of 500 meters. President Putin has stated that Bulava could penetrate any future anti-missile defence system.

The current version of the Bulava is able to carry up to six MIRV warheads, future variants are expected to carry a maximum of ten. A full-capacity payload requires the forfeiture of all final stage countermeasures and of some shielding.

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 2008.

The test launches conducted on September 27, 2005, and December 21, 2005, from the Dmitry Donskoi, a Typhoon class ballistic missile submarine, were successful. The next three flight tests, on September 7, 2006, October 25, 2006, and December 24, 2006, ended in failures of the missile, the causes of which have not yet been revealed. Most recent successful test of the Bulava happened on June 28, 2007 on Russia’s pacific coast..

The first boats to carry the Bulava will be the forthcoming Borei-class submarines, which will be outfitted with sixteen missiles each (the first submarine of the class will have twelve launchers only). The first three boats of this class will be deployed in 2010 (total of 5 were planned for 2015). A land-based variant is also expected.

On the 28 June, 2007, Russia successfully tested the Bulava from a nuclear submarine. The missile flew almost the whole length of the country. The missile was launched from the White Sea off Russia's north-west coast and hit its target on the Pacific Ocean peninsula of Kamchatka. On the 5 August, 2007 Russia made a decision to start serial production of the Bulava sea-launched ballistic missile.

Operator

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

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.