Posted on 07/25/2009 9:20:54 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The head of the institute developing a sea-based version of Russia's newest strategic missile has quit following repeated failures of the weapon in testing, officials said Wednesday. Yury Solomonov, head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, was the most senior official to date to take responsibility for the string of failures of the Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, currently in development.
"After the latest unsuccessful launch of the Bulava rocket, Yury Solomonov has submitted a resignation letter," Interfax-AVN, a news agency specializing in military affairs, quoted a source in the country's space industry as saying.
The source said his resignation would most likely be accepted as the Russian space agency Roskosmos believed that the institute that has spearheaded development of the Bulava required changes in its management structure.
The resignation came after the Russian defence ministry confirmed last Thursday that a Bulava missile had exploded after launch from the nuclear-powered submarine Dmitry Donskoy off northern Russia.
The failure of the missile, reportedly the sixth in 11 test-firings, was characterised by defence experts as a serious setback for the Russian military's drive to revamp its Soviet-era missile arsenal.
The Bulava, which can be equipped with up to 10 individually targeted nuclear warheads, has a maximum range of 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles).
It is the sea-based version of the Topol-M, Russia's new surface-to-surface intercontinental missile, and designed to be launched from Moscow's newest Borei class of submarines.
Boris Rumyantsev, one of Solomonov's deputies at the institute, confirmed to AFP that Solomonov had submitted his resignation as general director but denied the move was linked to the repeated failures of the missile
It sounds like he was forced out.
So the land-based version is named after a smoker’s tooth polish.
And the submarine-based version is named after a swiss watch?
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Could have been worse, could have blown up in the tube.
Its all right. Bottom line,its technological junk.
Knowing Russian rocket tests in last 50 years I would not be suprised if it happened.
I am not sure of your meaning, but we used the ruskies quite a bit for Satellite launches with Motorola.
Maybe the Russians could ask the Clintons for help.
Shows some forward thinking in Russia. 30 years ago, he would have been shot or sent to a gulag.
If you are referring to post number one, it is a description on how the Bulava rocket is supposed to work. I do not like using Russian rockets to launch American satellite hardware into space. There is always that our technology might be “accidentally” given to them and used in their ICBMs against us. Their space program is the arm of the Strategic Rocket Forces
In early 1997 Russian Atomic energy officials (MINATOM) admitted that an IBM super-computer was purchased from Europe by MINATOM in late 1996 for $7 million. The IBM super-computer was transferred directly to the nuclear weapons center in Arzamas-16. In addition, MINATOM official admitted that that Silicon Graphics, Inc., sold four computers to Chelyabinsk-70, another Russian weapons facility in the fall of 1996 for $650,000 each. Former Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown led several trade trips to China and Russia which included major computer deals.A letter from NSA Director Adm. McConnell in dated November 1993 gave Brown the NSA okay to begin exports only days before President Clinton met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Is it true that some of the early-generation Soviet SLBM’s were hypergolic/witchesbrew liquid-fueled?
Like the infamous TitanII widow-maker?
Hydrazine/UDMH & Nitrogen Tetroxide?
Br-r-r-r-r!
I agree
BTW those numbers came from personal knowledge of working with Motorola during the 90’s on things going to LEO.
I believe you.
Also, I wonder what the "shelf life" is of the fuel? Will it impact patrol durations? Will they have to de-fuel and re-fuel the sub every time it is port?
I Trust You.
"Shows some forward thinking in Russia. 30 years ago, he would have been shot or sent to a gulag"Maybe in the early 1950s, but not after that. In the 60's or 70's he would just have been disgraced and lost membership in the Communist party, if he was directly blamed for the failure.
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