Bulava Missile Designer Blames Industry For Test Failures

RIA Novosti ^ | 4/21/2010 | RIA Novosti

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Yury Solomonov, the designer of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile, said that the poor state of the Russian defense industry was the main cause of the weapon's failed test launches. Solomonov resigned from his post as general director of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (MITT) in July 2009 after a series of unsuccessful Bulava tests, but retained his post as general designer of the missile.

"I can say in earnest that none of the design solutions have been changed as a result of the tests. The problems occur in the links of the design-technology-production chain," Solomonov said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper published on Tuesday.

"Sometimes [the problem] is poor-quality materials, sometimes it is the lack of necessary equipment to exclude the 'human' factor in production, sometimes it is inefficient quality control," he said.

The designer complained that the Russian industry is unable to provide Bulava manufacturers with at least 50 of the necessary components for production of the weapon. This forces designers to search for alternative solutions, seriously complicating the testing process.

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It carries up to ten MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles

[bunkerhill7]

Bulova Missile Designer Blames Swiss Wristwatch Industry For Test Failures-
“Takes a Licking, Stops Ticking”

[edpc]

"Sometimes [the problem] is poor-quality materials, sometimes it is the lack of necessary equipment to exclude the 'human' factor in production, sometimes it is inefficient quality control," he said.

Sometimes the problem is vodka.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

That too. But what he is saying is that the Russian Defense Complex produces crap.

[askrenr]

"Sometimes the problem is vodka."

Sometimes the problem solution is vodka.

[SeeSharp]

The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

Liquid propellant in a sub launched missile? <<Scratching my head>>

[null and void]

Why not? Liquid propellants worked so well with the Skvall....

[HiTech RedNeck]

Rooskies had quality problems. Who knew.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Design for manufacturability.

Engineers these days can (and do) draw up anything. Those that fail have typically never set foot on a shop floor.

[Huebolt]

Why not? Liquid propellants worked so well with the Skvall....

And remember that BEAUTIFUL light show as the beluga pinwheeled merrily out of control? (wish I could post it...}

[null and void]