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Submarine successfully test-fires Bulava missile

It was the 17th Bulava launch

MOSCOW, October 28 (Itar-Tass) —— The nuclear-powered submarine Yuri Dolgoruky on Friday successfully test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile.

The head of the Russian Defence Ministry's press service and information department, Igor Konashenkov, told Itar-Tass that on Friday, in accordance with the state launch test programme, one more launch of a Bulava missile was successfully carried out from its carrier -- the nuclear-powered missile submarine cruiser Yuri Dolgoruky.

The missile was fired from the underwater position from the White Sea to the Kura firing range on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The launch was carried out as normal. The warheads arrived at the range at the planned time. It was recorded by the control means.

The crew of the Yuri Dolgoruky under the command of Vladimir Shirin already for the third time in six months successfully test-fired Bulava missiles, traditionally showing the high professionalism, Konashenkov noted. The previous launches were in June and August.

The Bulava is Russia'a newest submarine-launched three-stage solid propellant ICBM with several separating warheads capable to change the flight path and hit targets in a range of up to 9,000 km.

It was the 17th Bulava launch. The first from its carrier Yuri Dolgoruky was test-fired on June 28, this year (it was the 15th launch in the series of tests). Before that test, the re-equipped submarine Dmitry Donskoi of Project 941 "Shark" was used for the launches.

The nuclear-powered missile cruiser Yuri Dolgoruky is the head ship of Project 955 of the Borei class. Its construction began in 1996, and it is undergoing state tests at present. It will be accepted for service with the new Bulava missile system.

The first in the Borei series will be the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Alexander Nevsky. Its construction began at the Sevmash plant on March 19, 2004. Another missile carrier of the class is under construction at Sevmash. It is also named after one of old Russia's princes -- Vladimir Monomakh. The construction was started in 2006.

Eight Borei-class submarines will be built by 2020, in accordance with the state armament programme. They are expected to be the main naval part of Russia's strategic nuclear forces for several decades.

The Boreis are developed at the Rubin central navy design office based in St. Petersburg. Latest achievements are used in the development of their radioelectronic and other means. The subs will be armed with the Bulava missile systems. Each will be able to carry up to twelve ICBMs. The ships will have surfacing rescue capsules for all the crew. A Borei-class submarine is 170 m long and 13.5 m wide. The submergence depth is 450 m. The crew numbers 107 people.