Late October and early November were marked by several tests of three types of Russian ICBMs. From October 29 to November 5, naval submarines and strategic missile forces made three launches of the R-30 Bulava, R-29RMU2 Sineva and RT-2PM2 Topol-M missiles. These events were carried out in order to check the available weapons, and also became a demonstration of the power of the strategic nuclear forces of Russia.
On October 29, the Yuri Dolgoruky nuclear submarine (Project 955 Borey), while in the Barents Sea, launched a Bulava ballistic missile from a submerged position. The rocket successfully completed its flight mission and delivered training warheads to the Kura training ground (Kamchatka), where training targets were conditionally hit. This launch of Bulava from Yuri Dolgoruky has several interesting features. So, it was carried out as part of the combat training program for the crew of the submarine. In addition, for the first time in the history of Project 955 submarines, the submarine missile carrier received a full set of Bulava missiles. In the launchers of the submarine there were 16 missiles at once, one of which was launched.
On November 5, the submariners of the Northern Fleet again performed a training missile launch. This time the crew of the submarine "Tula" (project 667BDRM "Dolphin") received the task to carry out the launch. A Sineva rocket was launched from this submarine, which was in a submerged position. The purpose of the launch was the conditional defeat of training targets at the Kura training ground. At the appointed time, all training warheads arrived at the training ground. The launch was deemed successful.
On November 1, the strategic missile forces joined the navy. On that day, a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile was launched at one of the Plesetsk test sites. According to some reports, November 1 was the first test launch of the rocket since December 2004, i.e. from testing the mobile version of the complex. Like other recent tests, the launch of the Topol-M missile ended with a successful defeat of training targets at the Kura training ground.
In the context of the latest test launches of ballistic missiles, the events of September 10, 2014 should also be recalled. Then, carrying out the test program, the submarine "Vladimir Monomakh" (project 955) launched the R-30 "Bulava" missile at targets at the Kura test site. The successful launch allowed further testing. At the end of October it was reported that the Sevmash enterprise, which built the submarine, is preparing to hand it over to the customer.
Earlier it was reported that another launch of the Bulava rocket will be carried out in the fall of this year. However, the other day there was new information about the plans of the military regarding the tests of this missile system. On November 10, the Interfax news agency, citing an unnamed defense industry source, reported that Bulava missiles would not be tested in the coming months. Currently, specialists are working on a launch schedule for next year. In accordance with the already defined plans, the next launch of the R-30 rocket will take place only in the fall of 2015. The launch will be carried out by the submarine "Alexander Nevsky".
Test launches of the R-30 Bulava and R-29RMU2 Sineva missiles, among other things, are intended to test and demonstrate the capabilities of the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces. The Bulava and Sineva are currently the only ballistic missiles for submarines in service with the Russian Navy and should gradually replace the outdated R-29 products. The R-29RMU2 missile is designed to improve the combat performance of Project 667BDRM submarines. There are six such submarines in service, each of which is capable of carrying 16 Sineva missiles.
The Sineva rocket was created on the basis of the R-29RM project. In order to upgrade the armament of strategic missile submarines in the late nineties, the creation of a modernized version of the existing missile began. Work on the R-29RMU2 project continued until the mid-2000s. The Sineva rocket has been launched since 2004. The carrier submarines of this missile, as part of a mid-life repair, received a number of new equipment necessary for its operation.
To date, the navy has only three submarines capable of carrying R-30 Bulava missiles. These are the submarine cruisers Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky of project 955, as well as Dmitry Donskoy of project 941UM. In the foreseeable future, the transfer of the third boat "Borey" - "Vladimir Monomakh" is to take place. In total, it is planned to build 8 submarines of this type by 2020. Each of the Project 955 submarines carries 16 R-30 missiles. Thus, in the foreseeable future, boats of projects 955 and 667BDRM should become the basis of the naval component of the nuclear triad, displacing outdated submarines of project 667BDR.
The latest launches of the R-30 and R-29RMU2 missiles are the next steps in the program to upgrade the strategic nuclear forces and the navy. Of particular interest in this context is the launch of the Bulava from the Yuri Dolgoruky submarine equipped with a full ammunition load. Such tests should continue in the future. According to the latest information, the new launch of the R-30 missile will take place in the fall of next year.
