Bulava (rocket)

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Bulava (rocket)
General Information
Type Submarine-based ballistic missile
Local name RSM-56 Bulava, R-30, 3M30
NATO designation SS-N-32
Country of origin RussiaRussia Russia
Manufacturer Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering and Nadiradze
development 1998
Commissioning 2018
Working time In service
Technical specifications
length 11.50 m (without warhead section)
diameter 2,000 mm
Combat weight 36,800 kg
Drive
First stage
Second stage
Third stage
Solid
rocket
engine Solid rocket engine Liquid propellant (re-entry vehicle)
Range 8,000-9,300 km
Furnishing
steering Inertial navigation platform , astronomical navigation
Warhead 6 MIRV nuclear warheads , each 100–150 kt plus decoys
Weapon platforms Submarine
Lists on the subject

The Bulava ( Russian Булава ; Russian for Mace , incorrectly as mace translated) is a Russian submarine launched ballistic missile . It has the NATO code name : SS-N-32 . The GRAY index for the missile complex is D-30 and the missiles are labeled R-30 . In the Russian production plants it is called 3M30 . In the START contracts it is listed as RSM-56 Bulava .

development

In the 1980s, both ballistic missiles with liquid rocket engines (e.g. R-29RM ) and solid rocket engines (e.g. R-39 ) were in use on the submarines of the Soviet Navy . This circumstance caused great logistical problems as well as high costs. In the course of standardization measures, the leadership of the Soviet Navy demanded the development of a new missile, which should replace the different missile types and in the future should represent the only submarine-based ballistic missile. The development contract was the in 1986, machine design office Makeyev and Design Office Yuzhnoye awarded. As a basis, the developers used the R-39U "Rif" solid rocket, which was used on the submarines from Project 941 (Typhoon class). The new missile was named R-39UTTCh Bark ( NATO code name : SS-NX-29). After long delays and three failed test missile launches, the development of the R-39UTTCh was canceled in 1998 by Vladimir Kuroyedov , the commander in chief of the Russian Navy . Thereupon the leadership of the Russian naval forces turned to the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering . This was to develop a submarine-based missile based on the vehicle-mounted RS-12M2 Topol-M within a short time . The developers quickly realized that this was not possible; the differences between land-based and submarine-based missiles are too great. In 1998 it was decided to completely redesign it in the form of a light rocket with solid propulsion. This new missile system was named R-30 Bulava .

The development of the Bulava was marked by technical difficulties as well as deadlines and cost overruns. In addition, there were also delays in the construction of the project 955 submarines intended for the Bulava . The Bulava missiles were originally intended to be introduced into the Russian Navy in 2009. After the test missiles did not work properly several times, this deadline could not be met. The series of failed tests sparked a discussion among experts in Russia about the direction of the strategic arms program, especially in 2009. This worsened after the aborted October test was rescheduled on December 9, 2009 and failed again due to a malfunction of the third rocket stage. After malfunctions occurred again during further test starts, the introduction to the Russian Navy was delayed further. There were also difficulties and delays in rocket production. The navy then reproached the Russian industry for being unable to produce rockets of the appropriate quality in a cost-effective or timely manner. On December 27, 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that the test phase had been completed and that the new missiles should be operational in the near future. The first weapons were delivered to the Russian Navy in 2012 for integration tests. But even after that there were irregularities in missile tests. Investigations came to the conclusion that it was not construction errors, but almost exclusively production errors and poor quality that led to the crashes. Finally, after a successful test on May 22, 2018, during which four missiles were launched from a submarine in quick succession, the operational readiness of the R-30 Bulava was officially announced.

Timeline of the test series

date Result position Submarine Remarks
- June 24, 2004 Failed Start on the ground The solid rocket engine exploded on the ground shortly after the test.
01 September 23, 2004 Successfully Popped up TK-208 Dmitri Donskoy of
the Typhoon class (Project 941)		 The missile was fired from the nuclear submarine and reached a height of 40 meters
02 September 27, 2005 Successfully Popped up TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy First flight test that covered more than 5,500 km in 14 minutes. The test warheads went down precisely.
03 December 21, 2005 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy First launch from a submerged submarine. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision .
04 September 7, 2006 Failed Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy After launch, the rocket deviated from its specified trajectory due to a programming error and crashed into the White Sea .
05 October 25, 2006 Failed Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy The rocket deviated again from its specified trajectory after launch in the White Sea and triggered the self-destruct mechanism.
06 December 24, 2006 Failed Popped up TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Around three minutes after take-off, the third stage with the liquid fuel does not start and the rocket initiated its self-destruction.
07 June 29, 2007 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Second successful launch from a submerged submarine. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision.
08 September 18, 2008 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Start at 6:45 p.m. local time and successful impact on the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:05 p.m.
09 November 28, 2008 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Another successful start from a submerged submarine. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision.
10 December 23, 2008 Failed Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Again, the third stage did not start and the missile initiated its self-destruction.
11 July 15, 2009 Failed Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Shortly after launch in the White Sea, the first stage control system failed and the missile initiated self-destruction. Another planned test in October 2009 was canceled at short notice.
12 December 9, 2009 Failed Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Again unstable work of the third stage and the missile initiated its self-destruction.
13 October 7, 2010 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Another successful start from a submerged submarine. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision.
14th October 29, 2010 Successfully Submerged TK-208 Dmitry Donskoy Another successful start from the White Sea. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision.
15th June 28, 2011 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful start from the White Sea. The missile reached the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula with precision.
16 August 27, 2011 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful start from the White Sea. The two MIRV warheads reached the target area in the Pacific after a flight of around 9,000 km.
17th October 28, 2011 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful start from the White Sea. The warheads reached the target area in the Pacific after a flight of around 9,000 km.
18th December 23, 2011 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful volley launch of two rockets from the White Sea. The warheads reached the target area at the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
19th September 6, 2013 Failed Submerged K-550 Alexander Nevsky Two minutes after the launch in the White Sea, problems arose in the on-board systems and the missile initiated its self-destruction. As a result, Defense Minister Sergei Kushugetowitsch Shoigu prohibited further planned tests for the time being.
20th September 10, 2014 Successfully Submerged K-551 Vladimir Monomakh Successful start from the White Sea. The warheads reached precisely the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
21st October 29, 2014 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful start from the Barents Sea. The warheads reached precisely the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
22nd November 28, 2014 Successfully Submerged K-550 "Aleksander Newski" Successful start from the Barents Sea. The warheads reached precisely the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
23 November 14, 2015 Partial success Submerged K-551 Vladimir Monomakh Successful volley launch of two rockets from the White Sea. However, only the warheads of a missile reached the target area on the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
24 September 27, 2016 Partial success Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful volley launch of two rockets. Only one missile reached the target area in Kamchatka. The second exploded shortly after takeoff.
25th June 26, 2017 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky A missile launched in the Barents Sea hit several training targets in Kamchatka
26th May 22, 2018 Successfully Submerged K-535 Yuri Dolgoruky Successful launch of four rockets from the Barents Sea. The warheads reached precisely the Kura missile test site on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

technology

The Bulava is the main armament of the Borei-class submarines (Project 955). Each of these submarines can be equipped with 16 R-30 guided missiles. The Bulawa is a three-stage SLBM, the first and second stages of which are equipped with a solid rocket engine and the third stage with a liquid rocket engine. The stages consist of two main propulsion stages and a third stage with the re-entry body carrier (English Post Boost Vehicle). The drive stages are arranged one above the other and ignite one after the other. The rocket hull is made of weight-saving composite materials. The missiles can be launched from the surface or from the submerged submarine. They can be started individually or in series. If the launch takes place under water, the rockets are ejected from the launch silos by means of gas pressure. Only at a safe distance from the submarine does the first stage of the rocket ignite and the rocket moves towards the surface of the water. In the first phase of flight, the R-30 missile is controlled by means of inertial navigation platforms . After the first two drive stages have burned out (the boost phase), the third stage with the re-entry body carrier rises on a ballistic curve to an altitude of around 1,000 km. The control in this flight phase takes place with an electro-optical astronavigation system. The 6 MIRV re-entry bodies are arranged on a concentric ring around the third stage rocket nozzle . The re-entry bodies are released onto their individual ballistic trajectories in a sequence in which the wearer carries out course corrections in between. The re-entry bodies are equipped with a thermonuclear warhead with an explosive power of 100–150  kt . Depending on the source, the re-entry bodies achieve a precision ( CEP ) of 250–350 m. Bulava has a payload of 1,150 kg and can carry up to 10 MIRV re-entry vehicles. However, the Start I treaty limits the maximum number to 6 re-entry bodies.

Others

A misfire of the third stage of a Bulava missile is said to have been responsible for a spectacular spiral-shaped light phenomenon over Norway on December 9, 2009 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Ракетный комплекс Булава. In: bastion-karpenko.ru. Bastion-Karpenko, accessed September 11, 2018 (Russian).
  2. ↑ a b Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat 2017. (PDF) In: nasic.af.mil. Defense Intelligence Ballistic Missile Analysis Commttee, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  3. ^ A b Hans M. Kristensen: Russian nuclear forces, 2018. In: tandfonline.com. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, April 30, 2018, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Successful test: Russia wants to put Atom-Club in 2012 into operation . Spiegel Online , December 27, 2011
  5. ↑ a b c Д-30 / Р-30 / 3М-30 Булава - SS-N-32. In: militaryrussia.ru. Military Russia, accessed September 11, 2018 (in Russian).
  6. ↑ a b Bulava submarine-based ballistic missile. In: russianspaceweb.com. Russian Space Web, January 7, 2005, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  7. ↑ a b c d Pavel Podvig: Status of Russia's SLBM programs. In: russianforces.org. Russian strategic nuclear forces, January 7, 2005, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  8. ↑ The Bulava missile saga. In: sputniknews.com. Sputnik News, October 12, 2009, accessed on September 11, 2018 .
  9. ^ A b c Jacob W. Kipp: Bulava Launch Failure and the Crisis of Russian Defense Industry - Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 233. In: jamestown.org. The Jamestown Foundation, December 18, 2095, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Russia will adopt new Bulava-M submarine-based ballistic missiles for service with the Navy . (English)
  11. ↑ Michael Schwirtz: Russian Weapon Is in Need of Rescue . In: New York Times , July 16, 2009.
  12. ↑ Exploded missile embarrassed Russia's military . Spiegel Online , December 10, 2009
  13. ^ Ilya Kramnik: Outside View: Drop Bulava, back Sineva. In: spacewar.com. The Space War, December 18, 2095, accessed September 11, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Medvedev: Bulava tests completed - missile added to armament. RIA Novosti, December 27, 2011; Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  15. ↑ Источник: ракета "Булава" принята на вооружение. In: tass.ru. TASS, June 29, 2018, accessed September 11, 2018 (Russian).
  16. ↑ russianforces.org
  17. ↑ Залповый пуск баллистической ракеты морского базирования “Булава” произведен успешно. FLOT.ru, December 26, 2011; accessed on December 26, 2011. (Russian, "volley launch of the sea-based ballistic missile 'Bulava' successfully carried out")
  18. ↑ de.rian.ru
  19. ↑ russianforces.org
  20. ↑ russianforces.org , accessed November 3, 2014
  21. ↑ [1]
  22. ↑ russianforces.org
  23. ↑ russianforces.org
  24. ↑ Топ-5 видео пусков ядерных ракет России. In: tvzvezda.ru. TV Zvezda, accessed September 11, 2018 (Russian).
  25. ↑ Barents Sea: Nuclear submarine sends ICBM over half of Russia. In: de.sputniknews.com. Retrieved June 26, 2017 .
  26. ↑ АПЛ "Юрий Долгорукий" впервые произвела залповый пуск четырех ракет "Булава". In: interfax.ru. Interfax, May 22, 2018, accessed May 23, 2018 (Russian).
  27. ↑ Mark Wade: Bulava in the Encyclopedia Astronautica , accessed on September 11, 2018 (English).
  28. ↑ Stephen Saunders: Jane's Fighting Ships, Edition 2015-2016 . 2015. p. 680.
  29. ↑ Strange 'Norway spiral' likely an out-of-control missile . In: New Scientist , December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved on February 3, 2014.