Translated material
Rhyme for "Mace"
The President announced successful tests of a strategic missile in service
Yesterday, Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Dmitry Medvedev made a working trip to Novorossiysk, dedicated exclusively to military construction. As you know, by 2016 a new base for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, whose basing in Ukraine expires in 2017, should be built here. In Novorossiysk, the president, in particular, visited on an “inspection trip” the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser Moskva, which took part in last year’s war with Georgia.And late the night before, at a meeting with military sailors at his Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi, the president said that Russia had just successfully tested the latest sea-based strategic missile. However, he did not name the type of weapon. After this statement by the head of state, rumors circulated for quite a long time that the long-suffering Bulava ICBM had been launched. Until 2009, ten test launches of the Bulava were carried out, five of which ended in failure. After the last unsuccessful launch, tests were suspended until the reasons were clarified.
Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Vysotsky has already reported that the next tests of the Bulava sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile will take place in July, and a total of four to five launches of this missile are planned for 2009. In addition, shortly before the president’s announcement, the lead strategic nuclear submarine of the new generation, Yuri Dolgoruky, being built at the Sevmash defense shipyard in Severodvinsk, successfully passed factory sea trials at sea. This nuclear-powered submarine can carry 12 ICBMs with a warhead of ten warheads. It is for him that the “Bulava” is built. This is where the version emerged that this particular missile was tested.
However, it later turned out that we were talking about the Sineva missile. It was launched on Monday night and not for testing purposes - it was a combat training launch “as part of a service life extension program,” since Sineva is already in service with the Russian Navy. “Test launches of the Bulava missile will be carried out later under a separate program,” a representative of the Ministry of Defense told Interfax. And yesterday the second launch of the Sineva ballistic missile at a minimum range was successfully completed. The head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces told reporters on Tuesday Nikolai Makarov. “Today the second launch was carried out from the nuclear submarine “Bryansk” from the North Pole at the Chizha test site. All units arrived in the designated areas, the launch was successful in all respects,” said the Chief of the General Staff.
The Sineva missile system was developed by the State Missile Center (SRC) "Design Bureau named after Makeev" in Miass, Chelyabinsk region and adopted by the Navy in 2007. Flight tests of the Sineva were successfully completed in 2004; today, under state defense orders, the SRC mass-produces these submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
The complex has repeatedly confirmed its high tactical and technical characteristics. In September 2006, the strategic nuclear submarine cruiser Ekaterinburg launched this missile from the North Pole at a test site in the Arkhangelsk region. All four individually targeted combat units hit their targets. In October 2008, Sineva was launched to its maximum range - 11,547 km. RSM-54 "Sineva" (according to NATO classification - Skiff SS-N-23) is a third-generation intercontinental missile, liquid fuel, weight - 40.3 tons, length - 14.8 m, range - 8900 kilometers.
The sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile R30 3M30 "Bulava-30" was developed at the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering. In international treaties, the product is specified as RSM-56, and according to NATO classification - SS-NX-30. They plan to deploy it on Project 955 (Borey) strategic submarines. They are being built or undergoing testing at Sevmashpredpriyatiya: “Yuri Dolgoruky”, “Alexander Nevsky” and “Vladimir Monomakh”.
Maximum flight range is 8 thousand km, launch weight is 36.8 tons, throw weight is 1150 kg. The advantage of this missile is that it can carry not only traditional nuclear warheads, but also six to ten individually targeted hypersonic maneuvering nuclear units of 100-150 kilotons each. These blocks are capable of changing the flight path in altitude and heading, which Vladimir Putin first casually mentioned more than three years ago. The rocket, as experts say, has a low-altitude flight profile. The engines of the first and second stages are solid fuel, the third stage is liquid - to ensure the required maneuvering speed at the stage of disengagement of warheads. This is also an advantage of Bulava.
But if “Bulava” is only “on the way”, and the process is dragging on, “Sineva” is a completely mature product. Moreover, in addition to Sineva, the Navy is armed with two more missile systems with submarine-launched ballistic missiles - also developed by the Makeev State Research Center. They form the basis of Russia’s naval strategic nuclear forces, which will be in service at least until 2030.
Logically, the Makeev Design Bureau should also have been involved in the development and production of the Bulava. However, the federal authorities at one time decided - let one design bureau, one enterprise deal with strategic missiles, namely the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIIT) under the leadership of Yuri Solomonov. A global decision was made - to produce unified strategic missiles for both “land” and “sea”.
Experts spoke a lot and with pride about the interchangeability of individual parts and assemblies of the Bulava and Topol. Now other experts are talking about the fallacy of such a mixture, which, in their opinion, is why the failures with the Bulava occur.