The Russian Navy’s effort to develop a new Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) -- the “Bulava” -- has suffered another series of setbacks.  Not only did the latest effort to test fire the missile fail, but the project’s senior designer has resigned.

The Bulava SLBM failed its latest test on 15 July 2009, when the missile blew up 28 seconds after being launched from a submarine in the White Sea.  This is believed to have been the seventh failure in 11 test launches that began in 2005.  The Bulava was originally to have entered service in 2007.  Its predicted operational date is now unknown. 

(The Bulava has the Russian designation RSM-56 and NATO has assigned it the designation SS-NX-30, indicating Surface-to-Surface—although it is underwater-launched, N for naval, and X for experimental.)

Shortly after the latest test failure, Academician Yuri Solomonov, age 64, resigned as director general of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, the principal design bureau for the development of Soviet strategic missiles.  Solomonov was responsible for the effort to use technology developed for the Topol-M land-based ICBM (NATO SS-27) in the Bulava program in an effort to save money and reduce its development time.

This approach to the Bulava was strongly opposed by the Makeyev State Rocket Center, also a design bureau, which had long been responsible for developing Soviet-Russian SLBMs,  The impact of Solomonov’s resignation on the Bulava project is not clear.  There are some voices arguing that the project should now be cancelled because of both Solomonov’s resignation and the dismal record of missile test launches and the related technical problems.

The Bulava is planned to arm the new Project 955/Borey-class  nuclear-propelled, strategic missile submarines.  The Soviet SLBM submarine program had ended in 1992 with the completion of the seventh and last Project 667BDRM/Delta IV-class submarine. 

Four years later, on 2 November 1996, the keel for the Borey-class submarine Yuri Dolgoruky was laid down at the Sevmash (formerly Severodvinsk) shipyard in the Arctic. At the time the submarine was scheduled for completion in 2004. 

But the Yuri Dolgorukiy did not go sea until this year and the submarine is not yet operational.  Two additional Borey-class submarines are reported to be under construction, the Alexandr Nevskiy and Vladimir Monomakh.  The Russian Navy has announced plans to construct up to eight submarines of this type. 

Today the Russian Navy is reported to have six Project 667BDR/Delta III and six Project 667BDRM/Delta IV submarines in service, although at least two are in refit and some of the others may not be ready for sea. 

In addition, three of the Project 941/Typhoon—the largest undersea craft ever constructed—are being retained, although they are not operational and the Russian government has announced plans to scrap them in the near future.  There are no missiles available for them (they carried the SS-N-20 missile), with one “boat,” the Dmitry Donskoy, having had one launch tube modified to serve as a test platform for the Bulava. 

Thus, in reality there are 12 SLBM submarines in the Russian Navy.  This compares to an estimated 62 nuclear-propelled submarines in this role—including six of the giant Typhoons—when the Cold War ended with the demise of the Soviet state in December 1991.

Today the U.S. Navy operates 14 strategic missile submarines of the Ohio (SSBN 726) class armed with Trident missiles, while Britain and France each currently have four SLBM submarines in commission, although the Royal Navy does not have sufficient Trident missiles for all of them.  China has a similar nuclear submarine/SLBM program, but none of its submarines are operational and there is no SLBM is ready for deployment.

The Russian Navy can maintain most of its current 12 strategic missile submarines until perhaps 2020.  However, a new submarine-launched missile as well as new submarines must be available before that time.  As of today the severe funding problems plaguing the Russian Navy, delays in submarine construction, and the Bulava missile problems mean that the future of the nation’s sea-based strategic missile program is in doubt.