Posted on 11/28/2014 7:30:57 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
The Russian Navy on Friday successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile for a second time in as many months, proving its reliability following a troublesome development.
The Defense Ministry said the Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine test-fired a Bulava missile from an underwater position in the Barents Sea. The missile's warheads reached designated targets at a testing range in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The Bulava suffered many failures during a decade of tests, raising doubts about the fate of Russia's most expensive and ambitious weapons program since the Soviet collapse. But a series of recent launches has been successful and the Navy now has three Borei-class nuclear submarines armed with the Bulava.
Two of them, the Alexander Nevsky and the Yuri Dolgoruky, named after medieval Russian rulers, already have entered service. The third one has been completed and is waiting to be formally commissioned by the Navy. Overall, eight Borei-class submarines are set to be built.
Like the previous Bulava launch on Oct. 29 from the Yuri Dolgoruky, Friday's test was essential for confirming the capability of the missile, which Russia touted as a key part of its nuclear deterrent.
With Soviet-built nuclear submarines approaching the end of their lifetime, the Kremlin has made replacing them a top priority in the arms modernization program, which envisages spending more than $400 billion on new weapons through 2020.
According to Russian media reports, the Bulava has a range of nearly 5,000 miles and is capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads. Military officials have boasted about its ability to penetrate any prospective missile defense.
Active Duty ping.
Lovely.
Did not the old Pershing have a bit of reentry maneuvering capability? If so, no one called it quasi ballistic?
The quasi-ballistic seems to refer to the fact that it doesn’t go nearly as high as prior designs - i.e., it doesn’t go exoatmospheric. Its flight path is also lower and a flatter arc, so it’s faster.
Must be a helluva hit on max range, but what do I know.
No, you’re right. It’s trading off range for speed - the Bulava is a 5000-6500km ranged missile (depending on source) as opposed to 10,000km.
Sounds like the Russians decided to design it as a primary mode of delivery.
If they did not get out of the atmosphere macht schnell, I can understand the weird flight anomalies they had on recordings of test flights.
It’s not the only weapons system that uses such a trajectory, but such a launch really requires a missile designed for it. It was reportedly possible for our Tridents to do it, but Tridents weren’t happy about it and weren’t real accurate in that mode.
They’re also harder to hit for ABM defenses because they’re ‘above the horizon’ for a lot less time and are moving a lot faster.
Let’s see, the Topol M, Buluva, another I can’t recall at the moment. A 200+ mph torpedo.
Good thing we are keeping pace in the R& D department. /s
And keeping overwhelming numbers of missiles as a deterrent. /s
Forgot to add one thing:
“Good thing that President Obama is on the verge of starting WW3 against the Russians”
...and IDIOTS on THIS SITE support his policy.
If the Russians are using such a reduced range depressed flight profile, then their SSBN’s must be venturing outside of the “boomer bastions”.
When was the last time we tested a missile?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.