Russia successfully tested intercontinental missile

The Russian military today successfully tested the Bulava ballistic missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, with a range of up to 8,000 km.

Bulava missile being fired from the submarine Yury Dolgoruky. Photo: RIA Novosti

AFP quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying that the 37-ton intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from the Yury Dolgoruky submarine in the White Sea, then hit its target at the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The distance traveled by the Bulava (SS-NX-30) missile was about 6,000 km.

In fact, Russia’s latest missile can hit targets as far as 8,000 kilometers away, a fifth of the distance along the equator. It is designed to carry multiple warheads, allowing it to hit different targets in a single launch.

The Bulava (Mace) missile is expected to replace Soviet-era missiles that the Russian military is no longer using, due to their age and agreements with the US.

Diagram depicting the process of firing a Bulava missile from the Yury Dolgoruky submarine. Photo: RIA Novosti

However, the Russian military is still having headaches because of the previous unsuccessful tests of Bulava, which has not been officially used, and the submarine Yury Dolgoruky cannot have the weapon considered the main one. Interfax news agency said that the Russian military has failed 7 times out of 17 tests of Bulava missile, the missile is considered the foundation of Russia's nuclear strategy until 2040 - 2045.

(According to VnExpress)