Bulava missile launched from the White Sea

The new sea-based ballistic missile – Belava- was launched from the re-build Typhoon class submarine Dmitry Donskoi (see photo) in the White Sea Thursday, the Russian Navy reports. 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. However, several earlier tests of the Bulava in recent years ended in failure, raising doubts about the missile's future.