Anatoly Perminov, chief of Russia’s Space Agency (Roskosmos)
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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Failure of Bulava Nuclear Missile to Disrupt Rearmament
The trial launch of Bulava naval nuclear missile wasn't normal, Roskosmos chief Anatoly Perminov confirmed Tuesday. On failure of the third stage, Bulava didn’t hit the target on Kura ground, said sources on condition of anonymity. Two special commissions were set up to probe into the accident. The first one will focus on the course of the breakdown, while the second will attempt to find out sources that leaked to mass media the data on Bulava's failure.
The first and the second stages of Bulava operated perfectly, Anatoly Perminov, chief of Russia’s Space Agency (Roskosmos), said yesterday, adding, however, the third stage had “some defects.”
Bulava missile was launched from the up-top Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine, the White Sea. It didn’t reach Kamchatka, nor did it hit the target on Kura ground on failure of the third stage that exploded above the Sea of Okhotsk, according to the sources.
“Nothing awful has happened,” Perminov said, emphasizing that it was just the fifth testing of Bulava and the performance improves from testing to testing. Adding it to the arsenal will require from 12 to 14 launches, the official specified. Given that Bulava blasts off two or three times a year, Russia’s Armed Forces will hardly get it sooner than in three years.
So, three failures of Bulava in a row may easily disrupt the country’s program of nuclear rearmament. The process of arming Yury Dolgoruky that is the first of nuclear missile carrier submarines under Borey 955 Project, is scheduled to begin already in 2007.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 27, 2006
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