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Bulava

Bulava missile test history

  Date   Comment
0.1 12/11/03 Success Pop-up test of a mockup of the missile.
0.2 09/23/04 Success Pop-up test.
1 09/27/05 Success(?) First flight test. Launch from a surfaced submarine. Reports about failure of the third stage.
2 12/21/05 Success First launch from a submerged submarine.
3 09/07/06 Failure Launch from a submerged submarine. The first stage failed shortly after launch.
4 10/25/06 Failure Launch from a submerged submarine. Failure of the first stage.
5 12/24/06 Failure From a surfaced submarine. Problems with the third stage.
6 06/28/07 Success Unconfirmed reports about problems with one of the warheads.
7 11/10/07 Failure The first stage failed shortly after launch.
8 09/18/08 Failure Failure of the bus.
9 11/28/08 Success The "first fully successful test" of the missile
10 12/23/08 Failure Failure of the third stage.
11 07/15/09 Failure Failure of the first stage
12 12/09/09 Failure Preliminary reports indicated failure of the third stage

There is some uncertainty about results of two tests. The one on 27 September 2005 was reported to be successful at the time, but in December 2006 Ivan Safronov reported that the third stage of the missile failed in that test. Also, there were some reports about problems in the July 28th, 2007, but it is not clear whether these were credible.

Bulava missile has also been tested in pop-up tests from a land-based launcher.

[December 9, 2009] [Printer-friendly version] []

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