Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles R-30 "Bulava" are invulnerable to any missile defense systems.
This was announced to reporters by the chief of staff of the command of the submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Arkady Navarsky.
“The main advantages of the Bulava are ease of maintenance and the ability to maneuver in the acceleration section, which makes the missile invulnerable to any missile defense system,” Navarsky said.
He recalled that in the coming years the Pacific Fleet will be reinforced with two new Project 955 Borei-A submarine cruisers - Bulava carriers.
In addition, two Project 885M Yasen-M nuclear submarines will enter service.
“According to the armament plan, in the coming years, our association is planned to be strengthened with new nuclear submarines, which will significantly strengthen the naval component of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces.
We expect the arrival of four submarines - two Boreas and two Ash.
Their construction is almost complete.
Some of them are already taking part in sea trials, ”Navarsky said.
The Rear Admiral stressed that the Borey cruisers carrying the Bulava are equipped with the most modern modernized types of weapons, the most modern observation systems and the use of weapons.
History of creation
Work on the Borei fourth-generation ballistic missile for submarines began in the USSR in the late 1980s.
Initially, the Bark missile was developed for use on these nuclear submarines.
It was based on the R-39R three-stage liquid-propellant missile, which was used to arm the Project 941 Akula strategic missile submarines - the largest submarines in the world.
Nuclear submarine project 955A "Borey-A"
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© MOD Russia
This project was led by the Engineering Bureau.
However, the first three test launches of the R-39UTTH "Bark" were unsuccessful.
The weight of the rocket turned out to be higher than that established in the technical specifications, which meant that for its effective use, the entire project of the Borey submarines would have to be redone.
In 1998, work on the Bark project was curtailed.
The development of a new rocket for Boreyev, later named Bulava, was entrusted to the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering (MIT), the creator of the Topol and Topol-M rockets.
Since the early 1990s, MIT has been engaged in the preliminary design of a sea-based ballistic missile.
To speed up the work, the designers abandoned launches from a special submersible stand.
After successful tests with the Bulava mock-up, it was decided to proceed to test launches from the Dmitry Donskoy submarine of the modernized Akula project.
In 2004, throw tests were carried out from a submerged position.
Then in 2005 - test launches from the surface and submerged position.
After that, Sergei Ivanov, who was then Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, announced that the missile would be put into service by the end of 2007.
However, the adoption of the Bulava was postponed due to a number of technical problems at subsequent launches.
Since 2011, missile launches have been carried out from the Yuri Dolgoruky submarine, the lead ship of Project 955 Borey, and in 2013 it was put into service.
Dry start and ice start
The R-30 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile is a solid-propellant three-stage missile carrying six individually guided warheads.
Its tactical and technical characteristics were not officially disclosed.
According to media reports, the flight range is 10 thousand km, the payload is 1.1 tons, the probable circular deviation is from 120 to 350 m.
Experts note that one of the main advantages of the Bulava is the possibility of a so-called dry launch - before launching, the mine from which the rocket takes off is not filled with water, which makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of detecting the submarine by the enemy's hydroacoustics.
Nuclear submarine project 955A "Borey-A"
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© MOD Russia
Another important advantage of the R-30 is the possibility of launching from under the thickness of the Arctic ice.
For comparison, Project 667 cruisers equipped with R-29RMU2 Sineva and R-29RMU2.1 Liner liquid-propellant missiles can fire only after breaking the ice.
Commenting on the statement by the chief of staff of the Pacific Fleet's submarine command about the invulnerability of the missile to missile defense systems, editor of the newspaper "Nezavisimoye Voennoye Obozreniye" Dmitry Litovkin noted that the Bulava missiles launch much faster than all their predecessors.
“Their booster section lasts about five minutes, which makes it difficult to use the missile defense system.
Further, the missiles really maneuver, which makes it possible to bypass missile defense systems at the second stage.
At the third stage, when nuclear units enter the atmosphere, they go at hypersonic speeds, which missile defense systems, in principle, cannot see, ”the military expert explained.
At the same time, the possibility of ice launch makes it difficult to detect submarines from satellites, Litovkin added.
"Accordingly, launching from under the ice is an additional secrecy of use, such a boat cannot be detected and the use of its weapons cannot be prevented," said the interlocutor of RT.
In turn, military expert Yuri Knutov, commenting on the long path of development and adoption of the Bulava, recalled that in the USSR, sea-based ballistic missiles were liquid-fuel.
“Traditionally in the USSR, all such missiles were liquid-fueled.
Due to this, better energy and a higher flight range were provided.
However, this significantly complicated the launch and storage of missiles, there were many technical difficulties in operation.
But we were able to make a solid-fuel rocket, this is a real breakthrough for us ", -
he stressed.
Bulava missile launch from a submerged position
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© MOD Russia
Yuri Knutov explained that solid-fuel missiles can significantly reduce the preparation time for launch, thereby reducing the possibility of detection by means of launch control and missile attack warning.
In addition, because of the divided warhead, dozens of interceptor missiles are needed to counter Bulava missiles
.
“Considering that the Bulava also maneuvers, it is almost impossible to plan the meeting point of the interceptor with the target.
The Bulava also has a split warhead.
That is, you can confuse the enemy missile defense in such a way that it will not be able to distinguish a real warhead from a false one.
This principle of operation is designed not only for modern, but also for promising missile defense systems, ”said the expert.
In turn, the possibility of a dry start gives the submarine a significant advantage in launch time compared to strategic nuclear submarines of other powers.
“When a boat has to fill the shaft with water, it takes time and becomes visible for anti-submarine defense.
It also takes a lot of time to prepare for launch.
Immediately, all these moments are absent, an actual ejection start occurs, after which the engines are turned on.
Moreover, the initial speed of the Bulava is extremely high, which makes it impossible to intercept it, ”the expert said.
Equipping strategic submarines of the Pacific Fleet with such missiles significantly strengthens the naval component of the Russian nuclear triad, added Yuri Knutov.
“Now it is possible to strike from a point from which the enemy is not expecting him.
Moreover, the stake is placed on the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet, because there it is much easier for our boats to go out into the ocean, where they are much more difficult to track and intercept.
Our potential is increasing significantly, because new missiles and boats allow us to target the most important targets of a potential enemy, if necessary, ”the military expert concluded.