Background on Bulava missile tests

This unique photo taken in Northern Norway shows a Russian intercontinental missile flying into a spiral before it exploded in the atmosphare early morning on December 9th. The missile was most likely yet another failed test launch of a Bulava missile from the Typhoon submarine "Dmitri Donskoy" in the White Sea area.

You can follow the Bulava missile test program here at BarentsObserver.com

2010-07-29 Russia to resume test launches of Bulava missile in August

2010-07-06 Bulava tests to continue

2010-01-11 New Bulava tests this summer

There will be at least two launches from the strategic submarine “Dmitry Donskoy” next summer. If the tests are successful, the program will be continued from the newly constructed nuclear submarine “Yury Dolgoruky”.

2009-12-22 Sevmash confirms freeze of Borei-class construction

Santa Claus is not coming to town when Sevmash celebrates its 70th anniversary today. The keel of the fourth Borei-class strategic sub – to be named Syvatitel Nikolay or St. Nicholas in English - was supposed to be laid on December 22nd

2009-12-15 Next Bulava Launch can take place in January

The next test launch of the Russian ICBM Bulava can take place already in January 2010. Construction of the fourth Borei class submarine will start up as planned in December at the Sevmash shipyard outside Arkhangelsk, a high ranking military source says.

2009-12-10  Russia confirms failed missile launch
More than 24 hours after the incident, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirms that it was a failed Bulava missile launch that caused the strange spiral shaped lights over Northern Norway yesterday.

2009-12-10 Will failed test end the Bulava program?
-It would be logical to close the project and to forget about it as a bad dream, writes the journalist and missile expert Victor Myasnikov in today’s edition of Nesavisimaya Gazeta

2009-12-09 Failed Russian missile visible over Northern Norway

2009-09-15 New head of Bulava production
Sergey Nikulin is appointed Director of the Moscow Heat Technology Institute, where the accident-prone Bulava missile is developed.

2009-08-27 New manufacturer of Bulava missiles
The manufacturer of the high-tech submarine weapon will be shifted, leader of the Russian General Staff confirms.

2009-07-23 Bulava father dismissed
The leading engineer behind the development of the Russian Bulava missile has been dimissed from his job as leader of the Moscow Heat Technology Institute.

2009-07-17 Bulava missile failure adds pressure on Kremlin
The missile, which is intended to become the state of the art Russian submarine armament, the Bulava missile, this week made another failed test launch.

2009-06-19 Yury Dolgoruky left Severodvinsk
Russia’s brand new submarine left the yard today and sailed out in the White Sea.

2009-04-29 Bulava test to be resumed this summer
More land-based bed-tests are necessary before test fires of the Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile can be resumed, Deputy Minister of Defence Vladimir Popovkin says.

2009-03-05 Bulava missiles ready this year
The submarine-based intercontinental nuke-missiles Bulava will be put into service this year despite new delays in the test programme.

2009-02-23 New Bulava launch in March
Test fires of the new Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile will probably be resumed in March.

2009-01-02 Sea trials of “Yury Dolgoruky” have been postponed
The reasons are said to be the accident on the submarine “Nerpa” and the recent failed launch of the new Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile.

2008-12-23 Russian test fire of intercontinental missile failed
Tuesday morning the Russian Navy conducted a test launch of the new Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile. The test ended in failure.

2008-12-16 Final Bulava test launch
Russia plans another test launch of a Bulava missile December 21. If the test is successful, the Russian Navy will put the missile into service. 

2008-12-03 Russia starts serial production of Bulava missiles
 The Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile will be put in serial production.

2008-11-28 Russia testfired Bulava missile
The Russian Northern Fleet submarine "Dmitrii Donskoy" today successfully testfired a Bulava missile in the Barents Sea.

2008-09-19  Russia successfully testfired the Bulava
Navy officials now confirm that the missile next year will be installed at the country’s first fourth-generation submarine, the “Yuri Dolgorukii”.

2007-09-03 Russia to continue advanced missile tests
Russia's Strategic Missile Forces will conduct more tests of new warheads for its intercontinental ballistic missiles later this year, Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov said Saturday.

2007-08-06 Russia to start serial production of new missile system
Head commander of the Russian Navy, Mr. Vladimir Masorin, confirms that the Bulava-M submarine-based intercontinental ballistic missile will be put into production. -Huge funding and intellectual efforts have been invested in the creation of this complex, the navy leader stresses.

2007-06-29 Bulava missile launched from the White Sea
President Vladimir Putin has hailed Bulava as a key component of the nation's nuclear forces for years to come and has boasted of its ability to penetrate any prospective missile defenses.

2007-04-17 More testing of the Bulava missile coming up
Head of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Techics, Yuri Solomonov, stresses that he is confident that the Russian Bulava-30 missile system is being successfully developed.

2006-10-26 Russian sea-launched ballistic missile test fails
A Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the Dmitry Donskoi nuclear submarine in the White Sea self-destructed after it deviated from its trajectory, the Russian Navy press service said Wednesday.

2006-09-11 Northern Fleet failed to launch of Bulava missile in the White Sea
The missile fell in the sea after few minutes of flying.