On April 26, 2011, the K-84 Ekaterinburg submarine of the Project 667BDRM class successfully launched a R-29RM Sineva missile. The launch was performed from a submerged submarine deployed in Barents Sea. The Navy reported that all warheads reached their intended targets at the Kura test site in Kamchatka.
Previous Sineva launch took place in October 2010.
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Tremendous track record ... has a Sineva missile ever failed a test? With paper specifications no less impressive than the Trident II (or in any case comparable throwweight at similar ranges) and the decreased vulnerability inherent to an SLBM compared to a silo-based missile, one wonders why Russia doesn't consider following NATO's example and 'migrating' to a largely submarine-based strategic arsenal using only the R-29RMU rocket and updated/new versions of the Delta IV.
The only 'drawbacks' that come to mind would be the usual safety concerns due to the missile's hypergolic propellant, and perhaps increased cost meaning that less new subs and warheads could be deployed over the coming years - although as Pavel often pointed out, this is unlikely to make too much of a difference in any war in which they might be employed.
1. Sineva is liquid fueled--safety disadvantage vs solid fueled missiles, i.e. Bulava.
2. Lots of bureaucratic reasons. Speaking very broadly, the SRF brass are ICBM guys. Shifting from an ICBM-heavy deterrent to an SLBM-based deterrent threatens a lot of jobs and industries that have power in the bureaucracy--enough power to generate opposition to the move.
3. (Semi) Legitimate concerns that any SSBN Russia can build, American SSNs can find.
4. Related to #2, liquid-fueled missiles are old-fashioned. Solid-fueled missiles are more modern. Since part of the point of nuclear weapons is to make a country feel advanced and powerful, basing it on a 1950s technology is problematic.
Hmmm, not sure about part 4. Solid fueled rockets have been around for many hundreds of years, since the days of the Chinese Emperors (fireworks etc). While liquid fueled rockets have been around since the early 20th century.
Hello,
In your "Current Status" page, you might have forgotten to talk about Russia's early warning radars and S-300V anti-air defense emplacements. That's under the 'early warning and defense' section, I believe. You only talked about the satellites.
Early warning radars are listed on the Early warning page. As for S-300V, these are not strategic systems, so they are not here.
http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=12277
Why a second test launch? Seems expensive to launch a second missile just to insure readiness. Did something go wrong with the April launch or date is wrong?