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Russian nuclear sub to launch two Bulava missiles in November — source

The missiles will be launched from a submerged position from the Barents Sea towards the Kura test site in the Kamchatka Peninsula

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russia’s Vladimir Monomakh Borei class nuclear-powered submarine will carry out a salvo launch of two Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, a source at the General Staff has told TASS.

"According to the existing plans, the second serially-built Borei sub, the Vladimir Monomakh, will carry out a salvo launch of two Bulava missiles in November this year. The missiles will be launched from a submerged position from the Barents Sea towards the Kura test site in the Kamchatka Peninsula," the source said.

Only two missiles will be on board the submarine at the moment.

"At the moment of the previous Bulava launch from The Yuri Dolgoruky the submarine carried the full set of sixteen missiles. The Vladimir Monomakh will not," the official said.

The Bulava missiles’ twin launch will be the last test of the new submarine before it enters duty as part of the combat-ready naval force.

"If the launches are successful, if the submarine’s equipment performs well even though missiles may have hypothetical problems in flight, the submarine will go operational. This may happen in December," the source said, adding that no more launches of Bulava were on this year’s timetable.

The Vladimir Monomakh is a third strategic nuclear-powered submarine of project 955 Borei. It was expected that the Vladimir Monomakh would make a voyage to the Pacific Fleet base in the Kamchatka Peninsula alongside its twin, The Aleksandr Nevsky. In the end only one submarine left for its destination. It is expected to be there in the second half of this month. Its first combat duty mission is due to begin in October.