On May 8, 2014 President of Russia took part in a command and control exercise conducted by the Russian armed forces. Among its main goals, the exercise was devoted to "coordinating actions of various units in countering a large-scale missile- and air-attack." Also, the exercise checked the procedures for launching a "massive launch-on-warning (ответно-встречный) missile strike and countering a nuclear attack by the means of the Moscow missile defense system."
As part of the exercise, the Strategic Rocket Forces launched a Topol/SS-25 ICBM from the Plesetsk test site to the Kura test site in Kamchatka. The warhead was reported to have successfully reached its target.
The Tula submarine of the Project 667BDRM class performed a successful launch of its R-29RM missile from the Barents Sea to the Kura site. Another submarine, Podolsk of the Project 667BDR class, launched a R-29R missile from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Chizha test site at the Kanin Peninsula. Note that this is the first launch of an SLBM from the Podolsk submarine in more than a decade - until recently all launches at the Pacific Fleet were performed from the Sv. Georgiy Pobedonosets submarine.
The exercise also tested communication between the national command authorities and strategic bombers. A Tu-95MS bomber launched six cruise missiles (if the video footage showed the actual launch, it was Kh-55) "against ground targets at the Western military district test site."
At the Priozersk (Sary-Shagan) test site a short-range interceptor (apparently 53T6, known as Gazelle; it's possible that it was the 53T6M, previously tested in December 2011) of the Moscow ABM system was reported to successfully intercept a target that imitated a ballistic missile. Last time the interceptor was tested during the October 2013 exercise.
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Well it's good to see all elements of the triad working fine, except for Bulava. Nuclear subs are patrolling without their main weapons. Why the secrecy around whats going on with Bulava? Can't they test them on land? How long before their installed back on the new subs? Anybody?
I don't think there is much secrecy. About five more tests (from submarines, some are salvo, some are from Vladimir Monomakh) are planned for May-June and it is expected that the missile will be accepted for service this year.
Bulava has already been accepted into service in Jan '13.
http://ria.ru/defense_safety/20130110/917607431.html
These tests you see now are not tests of the missile, they are tests of the submarine. I.E. when each new submarine enters pre-commissioning stage, they need to stage a control test launch.
Yuri Dolgoriky already had a control test. Alexander Nevsky failed its control test. So they don't really need to retest the missile again, only test from Nevsky.
Yes, of course. But the Sep 13 failure showed that there is some problem with the missile. The new tests are supposed to test the missile, not submarines. If these are not successful I doubt YD and AN will receive Bulava this year. So, for all practical purposes, Bulava is not yet in service.
With reference to "Podolsk" - believed to have been decommissioned in 2010
Was "Tula"s R-29RM launch the first Liner firing post development or have there been previous ones? I've half lost track
Pavel: regarding the latest 53T6 test...do they have a certain amount of spare missiles for the yearly tests at Sary Shagan or are they still in limited production?
Thanks
Bernd: If the information about 53T6M is correct, there might be new production. I think it's possible that the "regular" 53T6 missiles are produced as well.
Re, my comment above about "Podolsk" being decommisioned in 2010.
I stand corrected on this as I have found out she is still in service from other sources