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Sea-launched Bulava ICBM accepted for service in Russian Armed Forces

Currently, Russia’s Northern and Pacific Fleets operate seven strategic subs of this type built by the Sevmash Shipyard in Russia’s northwest

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. The seaborne Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology has been accepted for service in the Russian Armed Forces, Institute Chief Designer Yury Solomonov told TASS on Tuesday.

"On May 7 of this year, a decree was signed on accepting the Bulava missile system for service," the chief designer said.

Project 955/955A (Borey/Borey-A-class) strategic nuclear-powered submarines are the carriers of Bulava ICBMs.

Currently, Russia’s Northern and Pacific Fleets operate seven strategic subs of this type built by the Sevmash Shipyard in Russia’s northwest. Each submarine carries 16 Bulava ICBMs.

According to open source data, a solid propellant Bulava ICBM has a flight range of over 9,000 km and can carry from six to ten MIRVed (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle) warheads with a yield of 100-150 kilotons each. A Bulava has a launch weight of about 37 tons.

Over the past few years, the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology led by Yury Solomonov has engineered Topol-M and Yars ICBMs and Bulava seaborne and ground-based missile systems.