Last week’s successful test launch of Russia’s newest missile Bulava opens the road for the Borey-class strategic submarines, a military source says. The next test launch is planned at the end of October.
On Thursday the Northern Fleet’s nuclear submarine “Dmitry Donskoy” conducted this year’s first test launch of a Bulava missile. This was the seventh successful test launch of the missile since testing stared in 2004, according to Wikipedia. Seven other launches have failed.
The successful launch practically opens the door for phasing-in of the new Borey-class strategic submarines, RIA Novosti reports quoting a Defense Ministry source.
"Construction and phasing-in of these submarines have been halted because of the many failed tests of the Bulava. The successful launch of the missile gives reason to believe that the whole complex “submarine and missile” will be taken into service in the Russian fleet by the end of this year or early next year", the sourse said.
The next test launch will probably be conducted sometime in course of the last ten days of October, RIA Novosti writes in another article. This launch will also be carried out from “Dmitry Donskoy”, and if this one also turns out to be a success, the third and last test will be conducted from “Yury Dolgoruky”, the first of the Borey-class submarines, which currently is undergoing final sea trials in Arctic waters.