Russia’s Borei-class Nuclear Sub Test Fires Four Bulava Missiles

Russia’s Borei-class strategic nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky successfully test fired four Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles from the White Sea, the press service of the Russian Northern Fleet said on Tuesday.

"On May 22, the Project 955 Borei-class lead strategic nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky made a successful test salvo launch of four Bulava ballistic missiles from the designated area in the White Sea to targets at the Kura range on the Kamchatka Peninsula," TASS quotes the press service statement as saying.

According to the press service, the missiles were launched from a submerged position. It was the first salvo fire from this type of submarines.

"The test confirmed combat readiness of the Project-955 Borei strategic submarine and the Bulava missile system," the press service stressed.

The submarine Yuri Dolgoruky is the Project 955 Borey-class lead vessel. The underwater cruiser is armed with a set of Bulava sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles and also with torpedoes. The sub can be armed with cruise missiles. It has a full displacement of 24,000 tonnes, is about 160 meters long and 13 meters wide.

The R-30 Bulava is a solid-propellant ballistic missile developed specially for Project 955 submarines. It can deliver 10 warheads of 150 kilotonnes each to a distance of 10,000 kilometers.